Colbert Gwain @The Colbert Factor
Recent research indicates that 63% of young voters consider the online actions of political candidates extremely important, suggesting that elections can be won or lost based on the voting direction of voters under 30 – a demographic that has never known a time without the internet. This likely explains why candidates in the upcoming Cameroonian presidential election are vying for the attention of these netizens more intensely than ever. Notably, 92-year-old incumbent President Paul Biya now tweets daily to engage with younger demographics. This effort follows his February 11, 2025, speech to the youth, where he promised to stand by them. However, the President’s policies toward young people seem to widen the gap between him and this demographic.
His newfound love affair with social media amidst unprecedented youth crackdowns especially in the two English Speaking regions of Cameroon smacks of a similar situation in Muteff village in Fundong Subdivision of the Boyo Division of the North West Region of Cameroon where during all-night dance parties that Muteff was famous for, boys who came and by-passed girls at the gate without helping to pay their gate fees, would insist on dancing with the same girls when different guys finally paid their gate fees and bought them drinks.
In those days, girls would sit in a separate section from the boys at village dance parties. When a boy’s favorite song played, he would have to approach the girls’ section, jerk his right foot forward in a swift motion (or tweet-like manner) toward the girl he wanted to dance with, and then return to the middle of the floor to wait for his partner. The girl would sit calmly, untroubled, as the boy danced alone on the floor. When other girls asked her why she had turned down or ignored such a gentleman’s advances so publicly, she would explain that she couldn’t expect one guy to pay her entrance fee and buy her drinks, while another guy enjoyed her company on the dance floor.
Like the smart Muteff boys in the 80s and 90s, President Paul Biya’s recent foray into social media has sparked controversy, particularly among Cameroon’s youth. His tweets, touting unity and patriotism, seem out of touch with the harsh realities faced by young people in the country. While Biya’s online presence may be intended to woo the youth demographic, it rings hollow when juxtaposed with the government’s treatment of young people on the ground.
In the North West and South West regions, youth are facing unprecedented challenges. Many have been arrested, harassed, and incriminated by security forces on trump-up charges of terrorism and/or supporting amba or secessionist fighters simply because they found information or images on their phones relating to the ongoing conflict.
Recent research reveals that one in every 10 youths are harassed on the streets of the North West and South West regions by security forces and their phones searched for any incriminating messages relating to the separatist struggle. Even when no evidence is found, the said security officers used the amba moniker as bogeyman to extort money from the young and defenseless youths who still dare to live in these conflict-ridden zones.
When these youths are not harassed for supposedly incriminating messages that enter their phones even without their consent, they are pursued for expressing their opinions online. The situation has become so dire that some youths have resorted to using disappearing messages on their devices to protect themselves from surveillance and repression.
The recent incident in Buea, involving the bold action of Dr. Tambe Tiku, the South West representative of the Cameroon National Human Rights Commission, highlights a disturbing trend. Nearly 400,000 francs were recovered from security officers and returned to the victims after the officers had implicated and threatened to link them to separatist activities if they didn’t comply. This incident is a microcosm of a larger issue.
This disconnect between Biya’s tweets and the lived experiences of Cameroon’s youth raises questions about the president’s motivations. Is he genuinely interested in engaging with the youth, or is this a calculated move to win their support ahead of elections? The answer lies in the broader context of Cameroon’s digital landscape where even access and affordability of the internet data bundles is an uphill task to these struggling youths.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), internet access and affordability are essential for social and economic development. The organization recommends that entry-level broadband services should cost no more than 2% of monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita. However, in Cameroon, internet services remain expensive and inaccessible to many, particularly in rural areas.
The African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020-2030) emphasizes the importance of digital inclusion and access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). The strategy encourages member states to develop policies and programs that promote digital literacy, online safety, and cybersecurity.
In this context, Biya’s tweets targeting the youth demographic seem more like an electoral ploy than a genuine attempt to engage with citizens. By touting unity and patriotism on social media, the president is attempting to project a progressive image, while ignoring the underlying issues that drive youth discontent.
The youth of Cameroon are not fooled by Biya’s online presence. Just like the Muteff girls who would turn down boys who allowed them in the cold for long until a good Samaritan came and rescued them by paying for their entrance fees, the youths of Cameroon today, know that the government’s actions on the ground tell a different story. As long as the government continues to harass and incriminate young people for expressing their opinions, Biya’s tweets will remain just a hollow gesture.
To genuinely engage with the youth, the government needs to address the underlying issues driving discontent. This includes ensuring Cameroon gets a comprehensive digital rights bill that prevents security officers or any other body from accessing the privacy of their phones without a court order or an oversight body, making the internet accessible and affordable, promoting digital literacy, and protecting online rights and freedoms. Until then, Biya’s tweets will remain lost in translation, a symbol of the disconnect between the government and the governed.
Biya’s Twitter campaign which has gained intensity since April 4, 2025, is part of a broader campaign strategy skillfully designed and rolled out by the Parish-based publicist and long-time friend of the President, Patricia Balme who managed President Biya’s campaign in 2018 and has been instrumental in doing same for some African Presidents ever since she created her PBCom communication agency.
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