As Cameroonians prepare to go to the polls in a high-stakes presidential election on Sunday (October 12), the country’s evangelical leaders have issued an urgent appeal for peace, integrity and God-fearing leadership in a country strained by decades of political tension and multiple armed conflicts.
In a statement released on Wednesday (October 8), the Cameroonian Evangelical Alliance (AEC), which represents some 7 million believers across the country, called on the people to “stand up for democratic and moral values” at a “pivotal moment of democratic mobilization”. The group urged voters to elect a president who would govern with justice, unity and “the fear of God,” quoting Romans 13:1 and reminding the nation that “all authority comes from God, and governing authorities are His servants, established to administer justice according to His will.”
The statement, co-signed by AEC Secretary General Rev. Teyabe Alphonse and AEC and African Evangelical Association President Rev. Jean Ribon Lilliken, outlined the qualities expected of the next president.
“The President of the Republic must be an agent of peace and a unifier of all citizens, regardless of their political affiliation, religion, ethnicity or socio-cultural background,” the declaration states. “He must demonstrate a real determination to restore national unity and engage with his fellow Africans in the spirit of Pan-Africanism.”
The appeal comes as President Paul Biya, 92, who has led Cameroon since 1982, seeks another seven-year term. His decision to run provoked contrasting reactions among church leaders and citizens.
Father Paul Hayon, a Cameroonian priest serving in the United States, said in an open letter in July that Biya’s continued rule “is an insult to our intelligence” and accused his government of “governing through fear and repression.”
Human rights monitors have previously expressed concerns about the country’s governance and political freedoms. The Constitutional Council upheld the decision to bar opposition leader Maurice Camuto from running in the elections. The decision follows previous disputes over the qualifications of candidates and long-standing tensions between the government and opposition parties. The AEC’s call for moral leadership and the fight against corruption comes against the backdrop of international concerns about Cameroon’s governance. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Cameroon 140th out of 180 countries, with low scores and persistent weaknesses in public sector transparency and accountability.
Cameroon also continues to grapple with overlapping crises that are deepening ethnic and political divisions both on the ground and online. The most serious conflict between government forces and separatists in the English-speaking northwest and southwest began in 2017 and left more than 6,500 people dead. The fighting has displaced around 584,000 people within the country, with an estimated 73,000 refugees forced to flee to neighboring Nigeria. The country is also battling a new jihadist insurgency linked to Boko Haram in the far north, which has reportedly killed more than 3,000 people and displaced about 250,000, and has also prompted the rise of local vigilante groups.
Biya told the crowd in Maroua that if re-elected he would strengthen security in the region, curb youth unemployment and improve roads and amenities. “I know the issues you’re concerned about, and I know the unmet expectations that make you question the future,” he said, according to an Associated Press report. “Based on my own experience, I can assure you that these problems are not insurmountable.”
Avoiding partisan endorsements, the AEC called on people to vote responsibly and called on leaders to reject corruption, nepotism and social division and “restore the fear of God within political and administrative circles.”
“The rise of Africa is the mission of this generation, as foretold in Isaiah 60:1-5,” the statement said. “As the nation prepares to choose its next leader, we pray that Cameroon moves forward in peace, integrity and faith in God.”
