Cameroonian lawyer and commentator Claude Assira has recently voiced strong criticism of the political situation in Cameroon, describing the announced reforms as mere "changes to change nothing". According to him, these reforms are just an illusion intended to maintain the status quo and ensure the survival of the regime in power.
During an appearance on Canal Presse, broadcast on Canal 2, Assira asserted that Paul Biya's regime, feeling cornered, has no choice but to simulate change. He argues that the announced adjustments are only cosmetic and that the core of the system will remain intact. This strategy, according to him, aims to give the impression of responding to internal and external pressures without actually modernizing the state.
Assira identifies a structural cause for this inertia: the regime's self-preservation logic takes precedence over any desire for real transformation. He explains that each adjustment is negotiated within a restricted circle of actors linked by common interests, thus preventing the emergence of genuine reforms.
The illusion of change, according to Assira, is maintained by a carefully orchestrated media and political production. Announcements of reforms are broadcast with solemnity, but the texts are then emptied of their substance during their implementation. National consultations, ad hoc committees, and draft laws serve as a facade to mask the immobility of power structures.
In the short term, this situation fuels citizens' distrust, who scrutinize each reform announcement with skepticism. In the long term, programmed inertia risks widening the gap between expectations of renewal and the reality of the deadlock, fostering lasting disenchantment and weakening the social contract.
Claude Assira questions the legitimacy of a system that can only survive by simulating change. He suggests that this illusion cannot be maintained indefinitely and will eventually dissipate on its own. Claude Assira's remarks echo recurring criticisms regarding the centralization of power, the lack of political pluralism, and persistent corruption in Cameroon.
A lawyer admitted to the Bars of Cameroon and Paris, a research professor, and an accredited arbitrator, Claude Assira is a well-known figure in the Cameroonian legal profession. He teaches law at the Catholic University of Central Africa and is the author of numerous legal articles and books.
