John Fru Ndi, leader of Cameroon’s main opposition party and critic of president, dies at 81

The leader of Cameroon's opposition Social Democratic Front and one of the party's founders has died after a prolonged illness

Cameroon Obit Opposition Leader (AP2011)

John Fru Ndi, the leader of Cameroon’s opposition Social Democratic Front and one of the party’s founders, has died after a prolonged illness. He was 81.

The party said Fru Ndi, who had been battling health issues for months, died late on Monday at his residence in the capital, Yaounde, a month ahead of his 82nd birthday in July.

“It is with sadness that we announce the transition into eternal glory of the National Chairman of the (party),” Joshua Osh, the party's vice president, said on Tuesday.

An influential figure, Fru Ndi he was one of the founders of the Social Democratic Front in 1990 and a prominent opponent of Cameroon’s longtime President Paul Biya.

He went up against Biya in three elections — losing each one — and more recently, became a strong critic of the president's handling of the country’s crisis following the 2017 rebellion of English-speaking separatists.

Last November, Biya marked 40 years in power — the only president most of the Central African country’s people have ever known. He is Africa’s second-longest serving leader: The president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has been in power since 1979.

Cameroon nation has been plagued by fighting since the English-speaking separatists launched the rebellion five years ago, seeking to break away from the area dominated by the French-speaking majority and establishing an independent, English-speaking state.

In 2018, Fru Ndi was abducted twice by the separatists and released after each abduction. After his last release, he urged the separatists to abandon their aspirations, saying that separation was not a solution to the country's crisis.

Following the announcement of his death, friends and colleagues described Fru Ndi as a true crusader and a strong contributor to Cameroon.

“The foundation on which we stood is gone, but the happiness is that he built a solid foundation,” said Yvonne Muma Bih, one of his aides.

Preparations for the burial were underway.