The leader of the opposition political party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, Maurice Kamto, made the call In a detailed statement released on Monday, June 30th as the country navigates closer to the October presidential election.
The President of the opposition political party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, Maurice Kamto has issued a strong appeal to the populations of Cameroon’s Northern Regions, urging them to resist what he describes as a looming campaign of “manipulation and division” by the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, regime. In a detailed statement released on June 30, on his social media handle, the presidential hopeful accused the CPDM of decades of political exploitation and socio-economic neglect of the Grand North.
Kamto argued that since the return to multiparty politics in the 1990s, the North has been treated as a “reserve of votes” used to manipulate electoral outcomes, with little to no real Investment in the region’s development. “Neglect, forgetting and abandonment best describe the regime’s attitude toward the North,” Kamto stated, listing chronic deficiencies in security, infrastructure, healthcare, education, energy, and industrial development. Kamto commended the region’s youth for what he described as a growing political awakening and desire to take control of their future.
According to him, this renewed sense of civic engagement appears to have unsettled the ruling party, which he accuses of resorting to divisive tactics, including hate speech and manipulation, in a bid to retain control. Drawing a parallel with the ongoing Anglophone crisis in the North-West and South-West regions, Kamto warned against the risk of instability if similar patterns of provocation and repression are repeated in the North. “The government must stop playing with fire. The people of the Northern Regions have long built peaceful coexistence across communities. Any attempt to dismantle this fragile equilibrium could have dire consequences,” he warned.
Kamto also addressed activists within the CPDM from the Northern Regions, calling on them to embrace the idea of democratic transition rather than fear it. He described the upcoming presidential election as a pivotal moment for all Cameroonians, and called for mass voter registration, active participation in the electoral process, and strict vigilance against electoral fraud. “A great destiny awaits the people of the Northern Regions and the Cameroonian nation as a whole. Let us not fall for provocation, but remain focused on our collective aspirations for change,” he concluded.
Kamto’s declaration comes at a critical time as political activities intensify ahead of the 2025 presidential election. His message appears to target regions traditionally considered strongholds of the CPDM, potentially signaling a shift in the campaign’s strategy as opposition forces seek to mobilize broader national support.
