Shortly after announcing his intention to run for an 8th term, Cameroonian President Paul Biya (92 years old) carried out a large-scale reform of the army. A series of presidential decrees were issued, changing high-ranking positions in the entire armed forces of this country.
Decrees appointing new chief of staff for the army, air force and navy. At the same time, 8 major generals were promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, including the head of the fast Trade Union (BIR) - a special forces force that plays a key role in anti-terrorism and presidential security activities. A new special military adviser to the president has also been appointed.
The changes in the military came just two days after Mr. Paul Biya announced his bid in the presidential election scheduled for October 12. With a 7-year term, if re-elected, he can continue in office until he is nearly 100 years old. Mr. Biya has been in charge of Cameroon since 1982, and is currently the oldest head of state in the world.
His continued campaign has caused a strong reaction from the public, especially on social networks and domestic media. Many people have expressed concerns about his health and ability to run the country. However, the Cameroonian government insists that Mr Biya is still in good health and has denied any doubt.
The new military decisions show a strategy of President Biya and his associates to strengthen power, build a breakaway general belt of loyalty around him to extinguish all objections to his continued rule, said Anthony Antem, an analyst for peace and security at the Nkafu Policy Institute in Yaounde.
Mr. Celestin Delanga - a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) - said that the military reform takes place in "a special political and security context" to ensure stability before and after the election. He said that would require redible personnel to be added.
Cameroon is facing many serious security challenges, including conflict with English-speaking breakaway forces in the west and threats from Hoi giao militant groups in the north, bordering Nigeria.
The government did not provide any explanation for this reform. The previous major change in the military ranks occurred last year, right after Mr. Biya returned from a long overseas trip - an event that had sparked speculation about his health.
