Cameroon's 2025 Presidential Race: Empty Promises on the Anglophone Crisis

As Cameroon gears up for its October 2025 presidential election, a troubling pattern has emerged among opposition candidates that exposes the shallow nature of their campaigns and their disconnect from the country's most pressing humanitarian crisis.



The Anglophone Crisis as Political Currency

The Anglophone crisis, which has ravaged Cameroon's Northwest and Southwest regions since 2016, has suddenly become the centerpiece of every opposition candidate's platform. What was once a neglected issue in national political discourse is now being treated as a golden ticket to the presidency. Every aspiring leader is making bold proclamations about resolving this complex conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over a million people.

The uniformity of their promises is both striking and concerning. Candidate after candidate confidently declares they will end the Anglophone crisis within their first 100 days in office. These sweeping guarantees sound impressive on paper, but they reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of the depth and complexity of a conflict that has defied resolution for nearly a decade under the current administration.

The Geography of Ignorance

Perhaps the most damning indictment of these opposition candidates is their physical absence from the very regions they claim to champion. For nine years, none of these presidential hopefuls have set foot in the areas most severely affected by the crisis. They have not walked through the ghost towns of Bamenda or Buea. They have not witnessed firsthand the burned schools, the displaced families living in makeshift camps, or the communities torn apart by violence.

How can someone credibly promise to solve a crisis they have never bothered to personally examine? How can they understand the nuanced grievances of Anglophone Cameroonians when they have not engaged with local leaders, internally displaced persons, or community representatives in the affected areas?

This absence speaks volumes about their commitment—or lack thereof—to genuine problem-solving. It suggests their interest in the Anglophone crisis is purely transactional, a means to secure votes rather than a sincere desire to heal the nation's wounds.

Campaign Theatrics Over Substance

The opposition's approach to campaigning further undermines their credibility. Instead of mounting serious, substantive campaigns that address Cameroon's multifaceted challenges, they are engaging in political theatrics. Their campaigns lack depth, detailed policy proposals, or evidence of serious preparation for governance.

A serious presidential candidate would have spent years building relationships in affected communities, consulting with stakeholders, and developing comprehensive peace-building strategies. They would have position papers outlining specific steps for dialogue, reconciliation, and reconstruction. Instead, we see superficial sound bites and impossible timelines.

The 100-Day Delusion

The "100 days" promise has become so ubiquitous it borders on the absurd. Resolving the Anglophone crisis within 100 days would require addressing:

  • Deep-seated historical grievances dating back to reunification
  • Constitutional and structural reforms
  • Disarmament and reintegration programs
  • Massive reconstruction efforts
  • Truth and reconciliation processes
  • Economic rehabilitation of devastated regions
  • Restoration of trust between communities and the state

Anyone familiar with post-conflict recovery knows that meaningful resolution takes years, not months. The 100-day promise is either naive politicking or deliberate deception of the electorate.

A Disservice to Democracy

This approach does a disservice to Cameroonian democracy and, more tragically, to the suffering people of the Anglophone regions. It reduces their pain to a campaign slogan and their legitimate grievances to political talking points. The victims of this crisis deserve leaders who take their plight seriously enough to invest time in understanding it properly.

The Way Forward

Cameroon deserves better than empty promises and absentee candidates. The electorate should demand that presidential hopefuls demonstrate their commitment through:

  • Regular visits to affected areas (security permitting)
  • Detailed policy proposals backed by expert consultation
  • Clear timelines that reflect the complexity of the challenges
  • Evidence of ongoing engagement with stakeholders from all sides
  • Demonstrated understanding of the historical context and current dynamics.


As Cameroonians prepare to choose their next leader, they must look beyond the rhetoric to examine the substance. The Anglophone crisis is too serious, too complex, and has caused too much suffering to be treated as a campaign prop by politicians who couldn't be bothered to visit the affected regions in nine years.

True leadership requires presence, understanding, and genuine commitment. Until opposition candidates demonstrate these qualities, their promises to solve the Anglophone crisis in 100 days will remain what they are: laughable attempts to exploit tragedy for political gain.

The people of Cameroon—both Anglophone and Francophone—deserve leaders who will show up, not just when votes are needed, but throughout the long journey toward peace and reconciliation.

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