Paul Biya - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Biya
Biya in 2022
2nd President of Cameroon
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 November 1982
Prime Minister	Bello Bouba Maigari Luc Ayang Sadou Hayatou Simon Achidi Achu Peter Mafany Musonge Ephraïm Inoni Philémon Yang Joseph Ngute
Preceded by	Ahmadou Ahidjo
1st Prime Minister of Cameroon
In office 30 June 1975 – 6 November 1982
President	Ahmadou Ahidjo
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Bello Bouba Maigari
Personal details
Born	Paul Barthélemy Biya'a bi Mvondo (1933-02-13) 13 February 1933 (age 91) Mvomeka'a, Ntem, French Cameroon (now Cameroon)
Political party	RDPC
Spouse(s)	Jeanne-Irène Biya ​ ​ (m. 1961; died 1992)​ Chantal Vigouroux ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	3 including Emmanuel Franck Biya
Alma mater	National School of Administration, Paris Institute of Political Studies, Paris
Signature

Paul Biya (born Paul Barthélemy Biya'a bi Mvondo; 13 February 1933) is a Cameroonian politician. He is the President of Cameroon. He has been the country's president since 6 November 1982.

Biya was born in the village of Mvomeka'a in Cameroon. At that time, the country was called French Cameroon. He studied in France, at the Sorbonne and the Institut d'études politiques de Paris, both in Paris. He graduated in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in public law and a diploma in international relations.

After graduating, Biya returned to Cameroon and worked in the government. In 1975, the President Ahmadou Ahidjo gave the job of Prime Minister to Biya. When President Ahidjo resigned on November 6, 1982, Biya became president of the country. Shortly afterwards, Ahidjo and Biya began feuding, and Ahidjo was forced to leave Cameroon.

Biya was elected as the President of Cameroon in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1997 and 2004, but other parties only have been allowed to enter the elections since 1992. The results many of these election results have been called fraudulent (achieved through unfair or illegal ways). ^[1]

Many international organizations, including Amnesty International, have criticized Biya's government for restricting the freedom of the people of Cameroon. These issues include control of the media (newspapers and radio and television stations) ^[2] and violations of human rights. ^[3] Biya's supporters point to the country's stability and high literacy rate.

Biya is currently the longest-ruling non-royal leader in the world and the oldest ruler in Sub-Saharan Africa after Robert Mugabe stepped down during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état.^[4]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Biya.

• bbc.com's country profile on Cameroon
• Paul Biya's Biography (from the 2004 election) Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
• Amnesty International press release from 17/25/97^{[permanent dead link]}