The Ghost of Etoudi: Factional Strain and the Erosion of Authority in Cameroon

To citizens across Cameroon—Francophone and Anglophone alike—the present moment invites sober reflection. Long-term stability cannot rest indefinitely on factional balancing alone. Durable governance requires institutional renewal, credible elections, rule of law, and meaningful dialogue.

By Timothy Enongene
Guest Editor-in-Chief, Independentistnews

For more than four decades, President Paul Biya maintained power through a carefully managed political system built on alliances, patronage networks, and calculated division. His governance model relied on balancing factions, co-opting rivals, and neutralizing opposition. For years, this formula sustained remarkable political longevity.

Yet as Cameroon enters 2026, visible strains within that system are becoming harder to conceal. The very mechanisms once used to maintain stability now appear to be generating internal competition, succession anxiety, and administrative paralysis. What once functioned as a method of control now risks becoming a source of institutional fragility.

A Symbolic Absence

On February 13, 2026, the ruling party organized an elaborate celebration to mark President Biya’s 93rd birthday. However, the president’s absence from the public event drew attention both domestically and internationally. While officials framed the occasion as a show of loyalty and continuity, critics interpreted it as a symbol of increasing distance between leadership and governance.

In political systems heavily centered on a single individual, symbolism matters. When visibility diminishes, questions naturally arise about decision-making, succession planning, and continuity of state authority.

Governance by “High Instructions”

Following the October 2025 presidential election, widely debated within and outside Cameroon, the formation of a new government has been delayed. Reports of internal disagreements among political factions suggest that succession dynamics may be complicating executive cohesion.

Local elections have faced repeated postponements, reinforcing perceptions of administrative hesitation. Meanwhile, public frustrations over municipal services—including waste management challenges in Yaoundé—highlight deeper issues of fiscal strain and governance efficiency.

These developments point less to dramatic collapse and more to gradual institutional fatigue—a system under pressure from accumulated political tension.

The War and the Wider Crisis

For years, government voices suggested the state had the capacity to sustain prolonged security operations in the Anglophone regions. However, prolonged conflict inevitably carries economic, political, and social costs.

At the same time, separatist actors portray themselves as disciplined and resilient in the face of state pressure. The boycott of national commemorations in parts of the Anglophone regions reflects ongoing polarization rather than resolution.

Regardless of political alignment, one fact is clear: protracted conflict drains national cohesion and weakens institutional legitimacy on all sides.

A Moment of Reckoning

To citizens across Cameroon—Francophone and Anglophone alike—the present moment invites sober reflection. Long-term stability cannot rest indefinitely on factional balancing alone. Durable governance requires institutional renewal, credible elections, rule of law, and meaningful dialogue.

To Ambazonians and Southern Cameroonians, resilience has become central to political identity. Yet lasting outcomes will depend not only on endurance but also on diplomatic strategy, clarity of vision, and international credibility.

Cameroon stands at a crossroads. The question is not whether the system is under strain—it clearly is—but whether reform, dialogue, and constitutional clarity can emerge before deeper fragmentation sets in.

History shows that nations rarely collapse overnight. They either adapt—or they erode gradually from within. The future remains unwritten.

Timothy Enongene
Guest Editor-in-Chief, Independentistnews