Paul Biya

Paul Biya (born February 13, 1933) has been the President of Cameroon since 1982.

Biography

Biya was born in the village of Mvomeka'a in the Centre-South Province of what was then French Cameroon's. He studied in Paris at Sciences Po, where he graduated in 1961 with a diploma in international relations.

Related Topics:
Mvomeka'a - Centre-South Province - French Cameroon - Paris - Sciences Po - 1961 - International relations

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He served under President Ahmadou Ahidjo and became Prime Minister in 1975. Ahidjo resigned on November 6, 1982 and Biya became president. After his resignation, Ahidjo came into conflict with Biya; he went into exile in 1983 and died in 1989.

Related Topics:
Ahmadou Ahidjo - Prime Minister - 1975 - November 6 - 1982 - 1983 - 1989

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Biya has been criticized by some as being a strongman, and is sometimes considered to be aloof from the people. He has also been strongly criticized by the Anglophones (the English-speaking people of Cameroon who live in the region formerly under British Colonial rule) for marginalisation and oppression. His strongest opposition is from this region of Cameroon.

Related Topics:
Strongman - Anglophone

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He won another seven-year term in the presidential election of October 11, 2004, officially taking 75% of the vote, but the opposition has alleged widespread fraud.

Related Topics:
October 11 - 2004

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