Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has spoken: Maurice Kamto, a prominent opposition figure, will not be participating in the October 12, 2025 presidential election. On Tuesday, August 5, the high court rejected his appeal as “unfounded,” thereby confirming the July 26 decision by the Electoral Council (ELECAM) invalidating his candidacy.
The ruling ends a long legal and political standoff but opens a new chapter in how the international community perceives Cameroon’s political landscape.
A Setback for the Opposition, a Test for International Credibility
Former president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) and runner‑up in the 2018 presidential election, Maurice Kamto attempted to bypass the electoral law restrictions by running under the Manidem banner. The MRC, having boycotted the 2020 local and legislative elections, no longer had elected representatives—an essential requirement to field a candidate.
However, a double nomination within Manidem gave the administration the legal grounds to disqualify Kamto. The Constitutional Council’s decision is final and comes amid a tense political climate: security forces were pre‑emptively deployed across Yaoundé with anti‑riot equipment, and several people were detained near the Constitutional Council.
This exclusion undermines Cameroon’s democratic image on the international stage. Western embassies and African partners are closely monitoring a vote that could once again be dominated by Paul Biya, in power since 1982 and seeking an eighth term.
Cameroonian Diplomacy Under Pressure
For African and international observers, the affair extends far beyond domestic politics.
“Kamto’s exclusion is being scrutinized by Cameroon’s foreign partners, who are looking for signs of democratic openness before deepening economic or security cooperation,”
explains a diplomat based in Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union.
Already, NGOs like Human Rights Watch have expressed concern about the government’s “persistent intolerance toward the opposition,” citing heightened repression since 2024. Across African capitals, fears are rising that a tightly controlled political environment could complicate regional cooperation, especially on sensitive security issues such as the Boko Haram threat in the North and the Anglophone crisis in the West.
A Diplomatic Domino Effect in Central Africa
This presidential election is being closely watched as a test for African diplomacy in an era of fragile democratic transitions. While West Africa faces a wave of military coups and Central Africa remains marked by long‑standing regimes, Cameroon’s institutional stability carries regional significance.
According to a CEEAC (Economic Community of Central African States) diplomat:
“Excluding Kamto risks narrowing Cameroon’s room for maneuver in talks with international partners. Donors and neighboring states are looking for inclusive dialogue signals before continuing their security support.”
With two months to go before the election, the Cameroonian opposition is attempting to reorganize around a single candidate. Yet the decision against Maurice Kamto underscores how difficult it remains for alternative political forces to emerge in a deeply entrenched system.
For African diplomacy, the Cameroonian case has become a lesson in balancing political stability with democratic standards, without undermining regional cooperation or international credibility.
Who is Maurice Kamto?
Born February 15, 1954, in Bafoussam, Maurice Kamto is an internationally recognized jurist and a central figure in contemporary Cameroonian politics. An agrégé in public law and former president of the UN International Law Commission, he was instrumental in peacefully resolving the Bakassi Peninsula dispute with Nigeria in the 1990s and 2000s.
He served as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice from 2004 to 2011 before resigning to found the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) in 2012. Kamto ran in the 2018 presidential election, claimed victory against Paul Biya, and became the emblem of a determined opposition repeatedly confronted with repression.
His exclusion from the 2025 race marks a turning point in both his political career and Cameroon’s recent political history.
