Maurice Kamto

{{Short description|Cameroonian politician and jurist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Maurice Kamto

| image = Maurice Kamto.jpg

| caption = Kamto in 2018

| office = Leader of Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC)

| term_start = 22 June 2012

| term_end =

| predecessor = Position established

| successor =

| office1 = Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice

| term_start1 = 8 December 2004

| term_end1 = 30 November 2011

| primeminister1 = Ephraïm Inoni
Philémon Yang

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| party = MRC

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|02|15|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Bafoussam, Cameroon

| spouse = Suzanne Julie Fantchom Wega

| education = Université Nice-Sophia-Antipolis
University of Yaoundé

| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|barrister|professor}}

}}

Maurice Kamto (born 15 February 1954 in Bafoussam) is a Cameroonian politician, law professor and barrister. He is one of the founders of the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC).

He was a member of the International Law Commission of the United Nations from 1999 to 2016. He was one of the two main agents, the other one being Professor Peter Ntamark in the Cameroonian delegation that successfully led the negotiations to resolve the matter of Bakassi, a peninsula disputed with neighboring Nigeria. His decisive contribution helped him to be appointed as Minister-Delegate to the Minister of Justice in 2004. He resigned from the government in November 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.crtv.cm/cont/nouvelles/nouvelles_sola_fr.php?idField=10490&table=nouvelles&sub=national |title=Maurice Kamto resigns from Government |accessdate=19 August 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115212633/http://www.crtv.cm/cont/nouvelles/nouvelles_sola_fr.php?idField=10490&table=nouvelles&sub=national |archive-date=15 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}

File:Maurice Kamto after the 2018 Cameroon's Presidential Election.jpg

After resigning from the government, Kamto formed a new opposition party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC). A kick-off meeting of his party merging multiple parties was prohibited by the government on 13 August 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20120816180500/ |title=Maurice Kamto (fr) |accessdate=19 August 2012|date=2012-08-16 }}

In the 2018 Cameroonian presidential election Kamto ran as presidential candidate for the MRC. Incumbent President Paul Biya is said to have won, in spite of a fiercely contested result process. Indeed, the entire country watched a strong defence from Kamto’s group of lawyers who pointed the partiality of The Supreme Court of Cameroon that is composed of Biya’s CPDM party members. Kamto was declared runner-up by the Court and said to have received 14 percent of the votes. Kamto challenged the official results and declared himself winner of the election.[https://www.voanews.com/a/cameroon-protesters-demand-biya-step-down/4632262.html Cameroon Protesters Demand Biya Step Down.] Voice of America, 2019-10-28. Retrieved 9 April 2019. His supporters held small-scale protests since then.

On 26 January 2019, Maurice Kamto and 200 of his supporters were arrested, and locked up in Kondengui maximum security prison in Yaounde, Cameroon.[https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/01/30/cameroon-opposition-leaders-arrested Cameroon: Opposition Leaders Arrested.] Human Rights Watch, 2019-01-30. Retrieved 9 April 2019. He was freed on 5 October 2019 along with other leaders of his party, a day after the end of the Major National Dialogue, following an official release by President Biya.[https://www.france24.com/en/20191005-cameroon-release-biya-kamto Cameroon orders release of main opposition leader Maurice Kamto], France24, Oct 5, 2019. Accessed Oct 5, 2019.

In October 2021, Maurice Kamto declared "I am not sure that waiting after Biya will lead to a change in Cameroon".[https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2021/10/02/maurice-kamto-je-ne-suis-pas-sur-qu-attendre-l-apres-biya-aboutisse-a-un-changement-au-cameroun_6096840_3212.html Maurice Kamto : « Je ne suis pas sûr qu’attendre l’après-Biya aboutisse à un changement au Cameroun »], Radio France International, Oct 2, 2021. Accessed Oct 2, 2021. He is perfectly bilingual.

On July 11, 2024, Maurice Kamto was summoned to be heard by the Cameroonian Gendarmerie Legion on an ongoing investigation.[https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1586189/politique/au-cameroun-maurice-kamto-est-il-victime-dun-guet-apens-judiciaire/ Au Cameroun, Maurice Kamto est-il victime d’un « guet-apens judiciaire » ?], Jeune Afrique, July 11, 2024. Accessed July 11, 2024.