Cameroon's 92-year-old President Biya Seeks Eighth Term

DAKAR, July 14 (Bernama-dpa) -- Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world's oldest sitting head of state, is running for an eighth term, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

"I am a candidate for the 12 October 2025 presidential election," he said in his post on social media platform X on Sunday. "Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us."

Biya has been in power since 1982 and had previously served as prime minister from 1975. He and his wife spend much of their time in Switzerland.

Last year, speculation about his health was officially banned in Cameroon.

Half of the country's 30 million population is under 19 years old. Cameroon is formally a multiparty democracy, but opposition parties, civil society and press freedom face severe restrictions.

The opposition has accused the government of manipulating past elections. In 2018, official results gave Biya 71 per cent of the vote, with the runner-up at 14 per cent.

Once a German colony, Cameroon was divided between France and Britain after World War I. 

Since 2017, a violent conflict between the country's French- and English-speaking regions has left at least 6,500 dead and displaced about 600,000 people. Around 40 per cent of Cameroonians live in poverty, according to estimates.

--BERNAMA-dpa