April 6,1984 coup:32 years after

On the night of 5 to 6 April 1984, unusual gunshots were heard all night in Yaoundé. On April 6, a message was read on the airwaves of “radio Cameroon” though it was limited only in Yaounde because of a courageous technician assigned by the coup leaders to confirm the rumours of a coup.

On April 7, forces loyal to Biya, who had been in office since November 6, 1982, took control reinstating him as the second President of the Republic of Cameroon. Mr Biya, therefore, had just escaped a coup he thinks his predecessor Ahmadou Ahidjo had a hand in.

Following this incident of April 6, 1984, the mutineers of the presidential guard were executed. Since Then, President Biya has had a series of tests. In March 1997 and April 1991 he resisted the operations “ghost towns”.

83 years old Paul Biya will soon be 34 years in power. Since taking office as the head of state of Cameroon, he has organized four presidential elections.

In 1992, he was declared the winner against John Fru Ndi of the SDF opposition party. He also won the presidential election in 1997, in 2004 and 2011.

In April 2008, Paul Biya changed the constitution to work for him to stay in office. Reports say there are plans under way to modify the constitution which if put through by the CPDM parliament, Biya stays in power forever.