09/07/2025
A COLLECTIVE OF INTELLECTUALS CALLS ON PAUL BIYA TO STEP DOWN:
FOR HISTORY, FOR CAMEROON, MR. PAUL BIYA, RENOUNCE OCTOBER 2025
Mr. President,
Since you took the reins of this nation in 1982, Cameroon has undergone profound transformations. Today, after 43 years of presidential leadership, the country you have long served stands at a crossroads. October 2025 should not be just another electoral appointment—it can become the founding date of a new Cameroon, if you choose to be its architect rather than its candidate.
A Patriotic Sacrifice
We are not here to demand your departure from power, but to urge you to honorably complete your legacy by enabling a peaceful transfer. Your voluntary withdrawal from this election would be a profound act of political wisdom, showing that national interest transcends personal ambition. Through this historic gesture, you would offer all of Africa a masterclass in democracy, finally breaking the sterile cycle of perpetual presidencies. This brave decision would also serve as a genuine act of reconciliation toward the Anglophone communities, the diaspora, the clergy, and all active forces of the nation—thus restoring the sacred unity of the country.
The Political Testament of a Nation-Builder
Mr. President, imagine the historical legacy you could leave behind: by personally guaranteeing a transparent and inclusive transition, your name would be etched among visionary founders. By sponsoring a true national dialogue—free of exclusion—you would seal the rebirth of the social contract. By overseeing the rise of a new generation of leaders, you would offer the nation its most precious inheritance. And by standing as the unyielding guardian of renewed institutions, you would lay down the permanent foundations of a lasting democracy.
A Nation to Rebuild
The documented facts paint a grim picture: Operation Sparrowhawk, launched in the 2000s as an anti-corruption effort, ended up as a selective crackdown on political figures, stripping the fight of any moral weight. The collapse of essential infrastructure—especially water and electricity—paralyzes entire regions, left to decay. Public funds are looted with systemic impunity, suffocating hospitals, schools, and roads, depriving the nation of its vital breath. Behind the scenes, an entrenched oligarchy has built an empire over the military, economic resources, and the machinery of the state, while the Anglophone crisis has already claimed 6,000 lives and forced the closure of 80% of schools in the affected regions. This collective breakdown is reflected in unbearable statistics: 30% of the youth languish in unemployment, and the country ranks 142nd on the global corruption index.
A Youth Full of Intelligence and Boldness
Yet, hope in Cameroon refuses to die: a youth full of intelligence and entrepreneurial daring embodies the vital force of a possible rebirth. The land is rich in natural resources—unexploited treasures that could fuel the future. Its unique geostrategic position at Africa’s crossroads offers it the keys to a continental destiny. These are the precious seeds for rebuilding the national structure.
When you declared before the National Assembly in 1987, “Retirement should not be considered a punishment; it is, on the contrary, a crowning of the journey accomplished,” your words now resonate with unsettling foresight. Nearly four decades later, that principle now mirrors your present-day decision. This right to rest is not a surrender but a well-deserved transition to a peaceful, dignified, and respected life.
A transition that fully acknowledges the invaluable role you can still play as a resource figure, bearing a unique experience for the common good.
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A Historic Choice Lies Before You:
On one hand, an eighth consecutive candidacy could risk trapping Cameroon in a cycle of controversy and social division, compromising national unity for generations. On the other, you have the sublime opportunity to embody Cameroon’s rebirth by voluntarily passing the torch at this decisive moment. That act would inscribe your name among the builders of peace, transforming your retirement into a political apotheosis.
Thus unfolds the vision of a solemn exit, fulfilling at last—under your guidance—the visionary promise of 1987.
Mr. President,
The eyes of history are upon you. Your people hold their breath. The youth of Cameroon, speechless with hope, reaches out invisible hands toward you.
By renouncing October 2025, you would not be abandoning power—you would be fulfilling it in its highest form. You would not be leaving the political stage—you would be sculpting your legacy in eternal marble: as the man who offered Cameroon the chance to heal its wounds, to reconcile its scattered children in a fraternal embrace, and to stand among emerging nations as a beacon for the continent.
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Yaoundé, July 7, 2025
Collective of Patriotic Intellectuals (CIPA-CAM):
Baba WAME (Journalist – Academic), Stéphane AKOA (Journalist – Academic), MOHAMADOU (Lawyer), Alain BOUTCHANG (Academic – Consultant), HAMIDOU HAMASSEO (Doctor), Michèle NDOCKI (Lawyer), AMINOU Mal Adji (Academic), Éric CHINJE (Journalist – Civil Society), Aïssatou MOUSSA (Civil Society), Jean-Pierre BEKOLO (Filmmaker – Civil Society), André FIRISSOU KAKOU (Teacher), Albert Roland AMOUGOU (Academic – Consultant), Lamissa ADORLAC (Journalist), Alice NKOM (Lawyer), Paul SAMANGASSOU (Consultant), Étienne DAFOGO (Civil Society), Hama HABIBOU (Political Scientist), Boris SOUOP KAMGA (Academic), KARAMOKO Souleymane (Civil Society), Leopold NZEUSSEU (Consultant – Writer), Aimé SADOU (Communicator), Jean-Baptiste HOMSI (Writer), Yerima HALILOU (Opinion Leader), Yaya HAMADJODA (Civil Society), Aboubakar HAMADOU (Civil Society, Secretary General of Voix du paysan), Nouhou MOUSSA (Businessman), Hassana TCHIROMA (Civil Society), Emmanuel SIMH (Lawyer), Anthony YAOUKE (Activist – Writer), Innocent Blaise YOUDA (Journalist), Bernard WANGSI (Journalist – Consultant), HAMAN MANA (Journalist – Writer)
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