Cameroon People's Democratic Movement, the ruling political party in Cameroon since 1985, controls nearly all levers of state power and has shaped the country’s legal, economic, and environmental policies for almost four decades. Also known as CPDM, it’s the backbone of a system where elections are held but rarely contested fairly, and where opposition voices are quietly sidelined. This isn’t just about votes—it’s about who controls land, who gets to protect wildlife, and who decides where game farms can operate.
When you look at the posts in this collection, you’ll notice something odd: there’s no direct mention of the CPDM in any headline. But that’s the point. The CPDM’s influence runs deep beneath the surface. It’s in the laws that let large landowners turn forests into private game reserves. It’s in the silence around wildlife trafficking cases that never make court. It’s in the way conservation projects get funded—only if they align with government priorities. The party’s grip on power means that even environmental news from Cameroon is filtered through its lens. A game farm isn’t just a business; it’s a political asset.
Paul Biya, who’s led the CPDM since 1985 and Cameroon since 1982, is now in his 40th year as president. His government has never lost an election by any measurable standard. This stability, as the regime calls it, comes at a cost: transparency. Local communities don’t get consulted before land is handed to foreign investors for eco-tourism projects. Conservation groups operate under tight restrictions. And when protests break out over land grabs or poaching crackdowns, the response isn’t dialogue—it’s silence, or worse, detention.
What does this mean for you reading this? If you care about African wildlife, you can’t ignore the political machinery behind the scenes. The CPDM doesn’t run game farms directly—but it sets the rules that let them exist. It decides which areas are protected, which are opened for development, and who gets to profit from both. The same party that controls Cameroon’s borders also controls who gets to film a safari, who gets to sell a trophy hunt, and who gets punished for illegal hunting. Without understanding the CPDM, you’re only seeing half the picture.
Below, you’ll find posts that touch on African governance, land rights, and conservation—each one connected, directly or indirectly, to the power structure in Yaoundé. Some are about Nigeria’s drift toward one-party rule. Others are about legal battles over inheritance and power. None mention the CPDM by name. But if you know where to look, you’ll see the same patterns: centralized control, limited accountability, and the quiet erosion of public oversight. This isn’t just Cameroon’s story. It’s the story of how power shapes nature—and who gets left out when the rules are written by a single party.
Paul Biya won Cameroon's 2025 presidential election with 54% of the vote, extending his 43-year rule. Despite legal challenges over his age and health, he remains Africa's second-longest-serving leader amid low turnout and opposition claims of fraud.
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