Cameroon Continues Corruption Fight: Opponents Suspect Ulterior Motive

Cameroonian authorities have arrested 14 officials tied to corruption, but political opponents argue that the probe is used to silence dissent, according to Voice of America. Officials charged them with embezzling $9 million, but some question the allegations. President Paul Biya changed the constitution allowing him to run for future terms and now may run as president for life.

Cameroonian authorities have arrested 14 officials tied to corruption, but political opponents argue that the probe is used to silence dissent, according to Voice of America. Officials charged them with embezzling $9 million, but some question the allegations. President Paul Biya changed the constitution allowing him to run for future terms and now may run as president for life.

Among the arrested, senior official Marafa Hamidou Yaya was an outspoken opponent of Biya’s constitutional changes, and many suspect he faced the government’s wrath as a result. The state counters that the investigations are meant to discourage other leaders from stealing money, but corruption largely remains unchallenged, and policymakers do not intend to root out the pervasive corruption that is systemic within Cameroonian politics.

Due to tainted rule, $152 million had been looted from the treasury, which is money that could have been used to enhance the Central African country’s lagging economy. Cameroon has suffered under lower oil and commodity prices, including a war against terrorist group Boko Haram, an organization that destabilized borders and disrupted commerce in local communities.

Cameroon was once a rising emerging market in Africa, but the world economy and fight against Boko Haram has nearly crippled the economy, and leaders made the situation worse through ineffective management and corrupt practices. Criminal transactions and deals occur brazenly in public, and Cameroon is one of the most corrupt nations in the world.

The country has vast potential and could follow strategies that would ensure success, such as diversifying the economy away from commodities and into other sectors that yield additional revenue. Biya, however, does not seem serious about meaningful changes that could have a positive impact on society.

Furthermore, the president is part of the problem, and his extended rule shows that little change will follow in a country that needs a vast overhaul in terms of governance. While he cannot take the full blame for Cameroon’s plight, he has overseen a system that does not work for the average Cameroonian, while elites are free to raid the treasury with impunity.

Biya has ruled since 1982, amassing a personal fortune in the process. He is also considered one of the world’s worst dictators, notes International Business Times. The government made examples of the recent 14 detained men, but only as scapegoats, with little reform taking place under the surface.

Cameroon stands a slight chance of an economic recovery because of its favorable agricultural landscape and precious natural resources, but this will not likely happen anytime soon under a regime intent on maintaining the status quo.