Retrospect: Remarkable 2022 political events in Cameroon
By Nde Laura
One of the major political stunts in 2022 was the announcement of the National President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM party, prof Maurice Kamto on October 1st, 2022 in the littoral region that he was ready to make the greatest sacrifice of a political party for the people to go in for the upcoming elections.
“We are able to win the elections but we decided not to take part because we are not fighting just for some militants of the CRM to become Mayors, municipal councilors, and MPs but we are fighting for all Cameroonians…. We are going to the polls in 2025,” Maurice Kamto explained.
Prof Maurice Kamto addressing thousands of his party supporters in Nkongsamba, Moungo division while installing newly elected party officials two months later reechoed the same message.
In 2022, the CRM engaged in a process to reorganize its basic organs ahead of the electoral year.
In the same light, just like the CRM, the Social Democratic Front political party, SDF announced the reorganization of its basic organs ahead of the National Convention built in 2023.
According to the National President, Ni John Fri Ndi the said reorganization was to bring in more vibrant and younger people into the party as he intends to resign as president.
“We need to have young people, boys and girls coming in their numbers that is why most of you must have noticed that some thrumpcats of the party have been blasting the hell out of me and we’re very angry because of them we could just leave the party the way it is and go in for a convention but I said no we have to get the party reorganized to get younger and wiser people to come in,”.Fru Ndi reiterated.
However this announcement that came from the National Executive meeting in Yaounde on December 10th, 2022 has been dividing than uniting party members.
The MP of SDF in the Littoral region, Hon Jean Michel Nintcheu and some party members met in an extraordinary executive committee to “ say no to anti-statutory resolutions taken on December 10, those they described as illegitimate National Executive Committee in Yaounde,”
It was a fight that got several political actors crying for the SDF party.
Another key political event was the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of President Paul Biya’s ascension into power. From subsection to section and region the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement CPDM political party and supporters used the occasion to trumpet the achievement of President Paul Biya 40 years after his ascension on November 6th, 1982.
Also, another political event was the visit of the French president, Emmanuel Macron to Cameroon on July 25th -26th 2022. It was his first-ever visit to the African country since his election last April.
He took the opportunity to strengthen ties and bilateral operations between the two countries.
In a joint press conference by President Biya and Macron, they highlighted some of their major discussions which were focused on international and current affairs. In terms of security; the fight against terrorism, the decentralization process in the two Anglophone regions, and the consequences of the Russia- Ukraine war on global food security and inflation.
The last key event in 2022 was president Paul Biya’s visit to the United States for the US African Summit from 13th to 15th December 2022.
He was accompanied by his wife Chantal Biya together with some top government officials.
Prior to the main event, the president took the opportunity to share his views during a round table discussion session on financing as an instrument for development in Africa. He says the drawback of Africa’s economic growth is the perennial problem of financing.
