Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji suspended the Front for the Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC) for three months in decree No. 000163/A/MINAT signed on 27 October 2026, barring all party activity nationwide. The decree cites five grounds: calling for insurrection, harming territorial integrity, national unity and sovereignty, inciting violence that caused destruction of public and private property, serious disruption of public order, and the residence abroad of one of the party's statutory leaders. It links these to the period around the presidential election of 12 October 2025.
The brief of 29 October 2026 reported the decree and the first reactions from the UDC, the MRC, the PCRN and the MP3 Cameroon. It noted that the FSNC had not yet responded and that the ruling CPDM had not commented. It also reported that the decree provides for legal action against anyone who violates it, and that the suspension leaves the party unable to carry out activity for three months.
On 29 October 2026 the FSNC responded, calling the suspension a "non-event" and a "gross mise en scène". The party said it had already announced its boycott of the coming legislative and municipal elections, and that the conditions for a democratic, free and transparent vote were not met. The same day, the UDC, through Hermine Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, asked whether the measure is a conservatory step or an additional sanction following a court decision. The Manidem, which backed Tchiroma in the 2025 presidential election, called the suspension a "gross manoeuvre" by a government it said seeks to neutralise its opponents rather than face them at the polls. The PCRN of Cabral Libii called it "a new blow to political pluralism" and urged President Paul Biya to reconsider the suspension in the name of "appeasement and pluralism". The ruling CPDM, contacted, declined to comment.
Minister Atanga Nji, in an interview with Cameroon Tribune, said the FSNC had "seriously violated the laws of the Republic" and that a candidate had proclaimed himself winner. He did not specify which court or administrative act formalised the suspension beyond his decree. The FSNC's response and the parties' statements leave open whether the suspension bars the party from the legislative and municipal elections, and on what timetable those elections will be held. The brief of 29 October 2026 named the FSNC's response and the CPDM's comment as indicators to watch; both have now arrived, with the FSNC dismissing the measure and the CPDM silent.
The suspension takes effect nationwide for three months from 27 October 2026, expiring on 27 January 2027. The legislative and municipal elections are expected in 2027, though no date has been announced. The UDC has asked for the coming elections to be as inclusive as possible, while the FSNC says it will not take part. The Minister of Territorial Administration has said the decree provides for legal action against anyone who violates it. The Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute, has not responded to the MP3 Cameroon's request to annul the decree. Whether the FSNC will challenge the suspension in court, and whether the government will lift it before the elections, remain open. The next formal step is the expiry of the suspension on 27 January 2027, unless a court or the government acts sooner.
Sources
- Cameroun Actuel Armand Noutack II : " le FSNC est désormais hors-jeu, ce qui est naturellement regrettable pour notre démocratie "
- Actu Cameroun Cameroun : l'UDC s'interroge sur la suspension du FSNC de Tchiroma Bakary
- RFI / AFP Cameroun: des partis d'opposition dénoncent la suspension pour trois mois du FSNC d'Issa Tchiroma
- Cameroun Actuel Suspension du FSNC : le ministre Paul Atanga Nji explique sa décision