Discomforting message for Biya

In his remarks to African leaders during the recent US-Africa leaders’ forum, US president Barrack Hussein Obama said that America was firmly opposed to presidents who would want to change their constitutions to permit them stay longer in power. Obama warned that the days of sit-tight presidents are numbered.

It was certainly not a comforting message for Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who amended the country’s constitution in 2008 to enable him succeed himself in 2011. The message was also not soothing for other African leaders including Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo, Idriss Derby of Chad, Blaise Campoare of Burkina Faso, Theodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and several others.

By these remarks, president Obama was simply emphasizing a point he made in one of his rare visits to Africa. In his address to Africans during a visit in Ghana in 2009, Obama said: “Africa needs strong institutions not strong men”.

US Secretary of State, John Kerry echoed president Obama in May this year when he said in Kinshasa that America would not support presidents who intend to change their constitutions to stay longer in power than necessary.

The director of the Africa office of the National Democratic Institute, NDI, Cameroonian-born Chris Fomunyoh, joined his voice to president Obama’s when he also said: “it is no longer a secret that the days of sit-tight leaders were over; it is no secret that Africans want to be governed in a different manner; it is no secret that in many African countries social and political tensions are caused by the determination of some African leaders to stay in power longer than necessary.”

Presently there are at least four African leaders who are envisaging changing their constitutions to stay longer in power. They include Blaise Compoare of Burkina Faso, Joseph Kabilla of DR Congo, Sassou Nguesso of Congo-Brazaville and Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi.

President Paul Biya of Cameroon changed the country’s constitution in 2008 and got a third 7-year mandate in 2011. He is presently 81 and has ruled Cameroon for 32 years. He earlier served for seven years as prime minister under Ahidjo.

In neighbouring Equatorial Guinea, Theodoro Obiang Nguema has been in power for 37 years and counting, after he toppled his uncle in a bloody coup in 1977.Obama sends warning to sit-tight African leaders