Democratic Backsliding in Sub-Saharan Africa- Paul Biya: the backslider in chief

In his spoken remarks before the Subcommitte on Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations , Christopher Fomunyoh, Ph.D. Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa National Democratic Institute draw a direct correlation between disregard of constitutional norms and authoritarianism, and use the case study of my home country Cameroon to illustrate how pushing through a constitutional revision in 2008 allowed an 87 years old incumbent to be president for life, and created a sense of total impunity and the belief that force and the military can be used to address legitimate political grievances such as the Anglophone crisis turned armed conflict and the persecution of opposition parties, journalists and human rights advocates.

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WITNESS:

Christopher Fomunyoh, PhD
Senior Associate for Africa
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
 
Dorina A. Bekoe, Ph.D
Research Staff Member
Institute for Defense Analyses
 
Mr. Jon Temin
Director
Africa Program
Freedom HouseMr. Joshua Meservey
Senior Policy Analyst, Africa and the Middle East
The Heritage Foundation