Source : Sahel weather July & august 2024 

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In Cameroon, the Boko Haram terrorist group has been losing ground in recent weeks, with the surrender of almost 300 fighters who have laid down their arms and surrendered to the Mixed Multinational Force (MMF). Despite this positive momentum, clashes have not ceased, as in the locality of Dzamadzaf, close to the border with Nigeria, where 2 people were killed following a deadly attack by elements of the Boko Haram armed group, who then fled to neighboring Nigeria after their exaction.

Meanwhile, an inter-community conflict in the far north of the country between the inhabitants of Doré Cissou, mainly of the Massa ethnic group, and the inhabitants of Dama, mainly of the Mousgoum ethnic group, resulted in the death of two people and the wounding of some fifteen others in an extremely violent confrontation. 

Beyond the terrorist issue and inter-community tensions, the opposition is facing major difficulties after legislators approved the postponement of legislative and local elections until 2026. Indeed, this decision will have a significant impact on the 2025 presidential election, as the country's electoral code stipulates that a presidential candidate must be nominated by a political party represented in the National Assembly, Senate, Regional or Municipal Council, or obtain the recommendation of at least 300 personalities.  Maurice Kamto, Biya's main challenger in 2018, does not seem to be satisfied with these conditions, given that his party boycotted the last municipal and legislative elections for lack of electoral reforms. With this major adversary out of the way, it would seem that the way is clear for the nonagenarian President.

In addition, a prefectoral decree signed by the Prefect of the Mfoundi Department has sparked considerable controversy and raised major concerns about the rights and freedoms of Cameroonian citizens. The document, which prohibits temporary residence in the Mfoundi department for anyone calling for an uprising against the institutions of the Republic or dangerously insulting them, has been perceived by the Cameroonian opposition as a worrying authoritarian drift. This perception is shared by the UN's Chief Human Rights Officer, who is visiting Cameroon and has placed particular emphasis on the fight against impunity in this country, stating that it is "absolutely essential" to strengthen trust between citizens and the State.