As Cameroon approaches its pivotal presidential election in October 2025, the UPC-MANIDEM party has publicly dissociated itself from the recent inauguration of Maurice Kamto, citing confusion caused by a similarly named political group.
In a press release dated July 22, 2025, UPC-MANIDEM clarified that it is distinct from the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), which was founded by Anicet Ekane after his departure from UPC-MANIDEM in 1995.
The party emphasized that “our party, the UPC-MANIDEM (Union of the Populations of Cameroon – National Manifesto for the Establishment of Democracy), is the party that Mr. Anicet Ekane left in 1995 to create MANIDEM (African Movement for New Independence and Democracy),” highlighting the ongoing confusion caused by the similarity in names.
Amid the charged political atmosphere, UPC-MANIDEM reaffirmed its commitment to the Stand Up For Cameroon movement, alongside the Cameroon People’s Party (CPP) and other civic, political, trade union, social, and intellectual forces.
The coalition advocates for a peaceful, popular, and sovereign political transition, which they regard as essential for rebuilding the nation.
This envisioned transition aims to end conflicts in the Northwest and Southwest regions, resolve the humanitarian and security crises in the Far North, and restore republican institutions—covering the constitution, electoral laws, justice system, military, media, and foreign relations—with full sovereignty.
The party stressed that the reconstruction phase would span two to three years, culminating in the first genuinely free, fair, and transparent elections in Cameroon’s history. “But the first step remains the fall of the UNC-RDPC regime, through a peaceful, non-violent, determined, and unified mobilization,” the statement declared.
Calling for collective responsibility, UPC-MANIDEM urged all Cameroonians to join forces across all fronts to secure a new democratic future. “History imposes a collective responsibility on us. We must combine our struggles on all fronts,” it concluded.
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