Cameroon’s Biya Shakes Up Government
Central Africa | 09.02.10 By Kevin Johnson-Azuara
Biya spearheaded a change in Cameroon's constitution that allows a president to enjoy immunity from prosecution for his actions as president after leaving office.
President Paul Biya of Cameroon has replaced the heads of the national police force and the intelligence service in a security shakeup that follows local media reports of a coup plot.
Political tension has been rising in the central African oil producer ahead of 2011 elections in which long-serving Biya is expected to seek another term in office.
Former police chief Emmanual Edou has been replaced by Martin Mbarga Nguele, and DGRE intelligence unit head Jean Marie Obelabout has been replaced by Maxine Leopold Eko Eko, according to state radio.
No reasons were given for the changes, but local media reported they may be linked to widespread rumors of a foiled coup plot on July 17 when Biya was in France.
Crime has been rising in the cities of Douala, Yaounde, and Bamenda, involving a wave of break-ins at government buildings including the office of sacked police chief Edou.
The government has also named Paul Nji Atanga, former minister in charge of missions at the presidency, as the first permanent secretary of the National Security Council (NSC), a body created in 2009.
Biya, in power since 1982 and one of Africa’s longest serving presidents, has not said he will stand in the 2011 elections.
But, he changed the constitution in 2008 to relax presidential term limits and is widely expected to run
Kevin Johnson-Azuara is the Editor-in-Chief of PoliticsAfrica.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevinjazuara.
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