Tanzanian’s Idi Amin Dada incarnate: Curse of yellow flags and why East Africans are calling President Suluhu Hassan ‘Idi Amin Mama’
Notably, the inauguration of President Samia Suluhu Hassan was done without the participation of the people she claims gave him 97 per cent of the vote. The election body has been careful not reveal voter turnout that can help shed light on Suluhu Hassan’s sudden popularity. The unprecedented feat is “bettered” on by Paul Kagame of Rwanda who in the last presidential election garnered 99.1 per cent of the vote.
Africa election thievery: Paradox of continent with world’s youngest population ruled by oldest presidents
A former vice president who rose to the presidency after the death of predecessor John Pombe Magufuli, Hassan’s emergence as Tanzania’s first female president in 2021, at first brought hopes to millions after the government’s repressive tactics against opposition leaders, civic groups, journalists and others.
At 92, Cameroon’s Paul Biya hands Africa Guinness World Record as oldest ever ‘elected’ president after securing eighth term in office
Cameroon’s government said over 5,000 national and international election observers were accredited to monitor the election. A group of eight local civil society groups noted several irregularities including the presence of deceased voters on electoral lists.
83-old incumbent Ouattara predicted to win ‘pre-programmed’ Ivory Coast presidential poll
The election is the latest example of ageing men continuing to hold power in Africa, which boasts the youngest population in the world. Cameroon’s Paul Biya, 92, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, 81, and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Mbasogo, 83, are some other older African leaders still in power.
Cameroon becomes latest African country to feature on abduction and kidnapping list of opposition figures
Kidnapping has become ha popular method of incumbents upending rivals in election contests. In Kenya, kidnapping and abduction of opposition leaders and their allies have become a preferred style of dealing with opposition.
Cameroon ruling party office set on fire following election fraud claims by opposition
Tensions have been rising in Cameroon after the opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory last week in the presidential election ahead of the release of official results, urging President Paul Biya, 92, the world’s oldest president, to concede.
Cameroon’s Paul Biya seeks eighth term in power as youth vow to give the election a wide berth
Cameroon faces escalating security crises. In the western region, a secession fight has long brewed mainly among English-speaking citizens who claim they are marginalised by the French-speaking majority. In the north, the Boko Haram insurgency spills over from neighbouring Nigeria, with armed groups routinely attacking border towns.
At 92 and in power for 43 years, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya says his best years are ahead as he seeks eighth term
In a region threatened with shrinking democratic space, several other African countries also have presidents accused of using state mechanisms to prolong their stay in power. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently sought nomination for a seventh term, a move that would bring him closer to five decades in power in the East African country.
