Centre

According to UNESCO, the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon was banned by France in July 1955, went underground and waged an armed struggle from December 1956; its secretary-general Ruben Um Nyobè was killed by the French army on 13 September 1958. That same year, on 18 February, Ahmadou Ahidjo became Prime Minister and negotiated internal self-government and then independence with Paris: French trust territory Cameroon reached it on 1 January 1960, the green-red-yellow flag replacing the French flag at a ceremony in Yaoundé. A single party was formed on 1 September 1966; the Liberty Laws of 19 December 1990 again allowed parties other than the ruling one, and the first multiparty presidential election, on 11 October 1992, remains contested.

Official sourceUNESCO – General History of AfricaPublished 1 Jan 1993Verified 6 Sept 2026

Events tied to this region

Events tied to this region
DateEventEraSource
The indigénat and forced labour in French CamerounMandates and trusteeships
Creation of the Representative Assembly of Cameroon (ARCAM)Mandates and trusteeships
UPC insurrection and the war in the Bassa and Bamileke regions · ContestedIndependence and reunification
Ahmadou Ahidjo becomes Prime Minister as Cameroon gains internal autonomyIndependence and reunification
Death of Ruben Um Nyobè, secretary-general of the UPCIndependence and reunification
Independence of CameroonIndependence and reunification
Formation of the single party, the Cameroon National Union (CNU)Independence and reunification
Proclamation of the United Republic of CameroonUnited Republic of Cameroon
1973 legislative elections and the unitary National AssemblyUnited Republic of Cameroon
Creation of the office of Prime Minister and Paul Biya’s appointmentUnited Republic of Cameroon
Ahmadou Ahidjo’s resignation and Paul Biya’s inaugurationThe Renouveau era (since 1982)
The 6 April 1984 coup attempt · ContestedThe Renouveau era (since 1982)
December 1990 "Liberty Laws" and the legalisation of multiparty politicsThe Renouveau era (since 1982)
1992 disputed presidential election · ContestedThe Renouveau era (since 1982)
1996 Constitution and decentralisationThe Renouveau era (since 1982)
Report of the joint Franco-Cameroonian historians’ commissionThe Renouveau era (since 1982)
2025 disputed presidential election · ContestedThe Renouveau era (since 1982)
Official sourceConstitutional Council