Supporters of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest political chief, are asking him to increase his 4 many years grip on energy within the subsequent election in 2025.

Mr Biya’s ninetieth birthday was celebrated within the 5000-seat Multipurpose Sports activities Advanced in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé on Monday.

Though his absence from the occasions bolstered the case of those that have questioned his well being, authorities officers keep that the president is in fine condition.

Cameroon’s speedy previous prime minister and Mr Biya’s shut collaborator, Philemon Yang, says he’s celebrating an distinctive chief who has introduced Cameroon peace and improvement.

“We’re celebrating longevity, achievements, political achievements, financial achievements, you possibly can think about democratization, that may be a huge achievement.

“So we’re celebrating many issues. Rigor is with us, moralization is with us and, most of all, residing collectively.

“These are psychological achievements which might by no means be decreased to nothing. We don’t see them, they’re invisible however extraordinarily essential to us,” he mentioned.

Mr Biya has dominated Cameroon since 1982 when he succeeded the nation’s first president, Ahmadou Ahijo, for whom he beforehand served as prime minister for seven years.

He has received all multiparty elections since 1992, regardless of opposition events’ robust allegations of rigging and electoral malpractice. He repealed time period limits from the structure in 2008, permitting him to serve indefinitely.

Mr Biya’s critics say he has not been in a position to finish prevailing corruption and the separatist disaster that has killed greater than 3500 individuals since 2017.

Violet Fokum, the manager director of the Middle for Human Rights and Democracy additionally knocked Mr Biya for the alarming variety of out-of-school kids within the nation.

“Have a look at the variety of kids who’ve dropped out of college. Ten p.c of women marry earlier than the ages of 15, after which 31% by the age of 18.

“Colleges have been shut down. When these youngsters are on the streets, they’re recruited as baby troopers or they turn into bush wives to nonstate armed teams,” she mentioned.