‘The Old Don’t Let Go’: 36 Years of Rocky ‘Stability’ in Paul Biya’s Cameroon

‘The Old Don’t Let Go’: 36 Years of Rocky ‘Stability’ in Paul Biya’s Cameroon
Cameroonian President Paul Biya waves after casting his vote during the last presidential election, Yaounde, Cameroon, Oct. 9, 2011 (AP photo by Sunday Alamba).

Cameroonian President Paul Biya is expected to coast to re-election on Oct. 7. But two ongoing conflicts have undermined what he has long pitched as his greatest strength: his ability to maintain peace in an otherwise unstable region. The coming years could be among the most challenging of his decades-long reign.

In the grainy cellphone footage, Cameroonian soldiers march two women down a sandy road.

One of the women wears a pink t-shirt, large silver earrings and a bright blue headwrap. Her head upright, she carries a baby on her back. The other woman has an outfit of green patterned cloth. She holds the hand of a young girl dressed in an oversized black t-shirt.

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