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Paul Biya was born on 13 February 1933 in Mvomeka’a, in what was then French Cameroon; he is the son of Etienne Mvondo Assam and Anastasie Eyenga Elle. He studied in Cameroon through the seminary and mission school systems before going to France, where he attended Lycée Louis-Le-Grand, the Sorbonne, Sciences Po, and other institutions, earning credentials in law and political science. Before becoming president, Biya held a series of influential administrative roles, including Secretary-General of the Presidency under President Ahmadou Ahidjo, and was later appointed Prime Minister in June 1975. On 6 November 1982, following Ahidjo’s resignation, Biya was sworn in as President of Cameroon — a change that followed a period of tension and power struggle within the ruling elite. In 1984, Biya survived a coup attempt by elements of the presidential guard; the episode strengthened his hold on power and was one of the early tests of his regime. He is the author of Communal Liberalism (1987), a political essay in which he laid out his vision for economic liberalism, multiparty politics, and national solidarity. Biya has been married twice: first to Jeanne-Irène Atyam (who died in 1992) and later to Chantal Vigouroux (married in 1994); he has three children, including Brenda Biya, who has drawn attention for her public statements on social issues. He is among the longest-serving non-royal heads of state in the world, having been in power since 1982, and in 2025, he is seeking to extend that tenure with his eighth presidential term. His long absences from public view and extended travel abroad have fueled speculation about his health and the real locus of power, especially as he ages. However, Biya won another election for the eighth term in office. Under Biya’s rule, the political system has become highly centralized, with a strong tendency toward keeping opposition in check, rotating loyalists through key positions, and maintaining tight control over state institutions.
