Biya family: Who is really in charge in Yaoundé? ⁰

Images of Franck Biya are draped over walls of strategic locations in the run-up to President Emmanuel Macron’s visit in the nation’s capital, Yaoundé. Cameroon has only one tradition embedded in her politics when a foreign head of state is expected in the country- the president’s portrait with the visiting leader.

But events in Yaoundé are now telling a different story which many have painted as the road to a civil war. The message is clear, Paul Biya is the outgoing President and the corrupt and ill-equipped eldest son of Mr. Biya is the President-In-Waiting.

French speaking Cameroonians are about to enter one of the stranger transition periods in their history. It is now evidently clear that Franck Biya is President Paul Biya’s anointed heir outside the ruling CPDM political structure.

Given this Beti Ewondo Francophone political arrangement, there are two burning questions on everybody’s mind: Who is really in charge in Yaoundé? And will this fake transition as many Francophone Cameroonian pundits have dubbed it, lead to civil war?

There are under-the-table talks in Yaoundé that President Emmanuel Macron visit to Cameroon is intended to show the Francophone political elites that the Biya family plans to remain in charge.

“The Franck Biya posters in Yaoundé signal a family planning to continue being a leader” a senior political figure from the Far North region told Cameroon Concord News

Cameroon is not Gabon or Togo. So Franck Biya will not have the accoutrements of power. Franck Biya will not have formal control over the Cameroonian military and security services, and he will eventually escape to France.

Those who are pushing the Franck Biya For President agenda are simply ignoring the fact that Southern Cameroonians already have guns!! It needs only the Far North or the Bamilekes to do same and Cameroon will be worse than Rwanda.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai