In simple terms, Cameroon's political evolution is a tale of two periods and two personalities. The country's first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo (1924–1989), unexpectedly resigned from office in 1982. Radio France International credited him for leaving behind a prosperous and stable country but questioned his failure to allow for political liberalization. Pressured by the Civil Society Movement, his successor, President Paul Biya (b. 1933), has allowed political liberalization but has fallen short in terms of political stability and economic prosperity. When each leader came to power, no one expected either to last long in office. Both Ahidjo and Biya easily defied expert wisdom and remained in office for well over twenty years.

Underlying this simplistic picture, however, is a more complicated political reality. Leadership change meant the country experienced a power shift from the northern-dominated Fulani Muslims (Ahidjo's stronghold) to the southern Christian Betis of the central south (Biya's stronghold). The contextual...