Overview

• Cameroonians vote on October 12, with Paul Biya making a rare campaign appearance this week in Maroua as observers describe a system that strongly advantages the ruling party.
• Prominent opposition figure Maurice Kamto was barred from the race by the election authority Elecam and then by the Constitutional Council.
• Two longtime insiders, Bello Bouba Maïgari and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, resigned from government to run, drawing attention as establishment challengers and attracting endorsements and visible street support.
• Youth frustration is high, with surveys indicating most under-35s would like to emigrate and World Bank data showing many are neither employed nor in training.
• Security strains persist in the north and in anglophone regions, and reporters caution about possible manipulation and post-election unrest echoing tensions after the 2018 vote.