MAROUA, Cameroon — In a significant move marking the start of his re-election campaign, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, made his first major public appearance on Monday. The 92-year-old leader, who has been in power since 1982, addressed a gathering of supporters in Maroua, a city in the Far North region, just five days before the upcoming election. This marked his first public appearance since May of this year. Speaking to a crowd of several hundred supporters from the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), Biya reaffirmed his commitment to serving the nation. “My determination to serve you remains intact,” he declared, urging the audience for their continued support. His 25-minute speech emphasized key issues such as youth employment, women’s empowerment, and infrastructure development. “My goal is for every young person, whether a graduate or not, to easily find a job or start a business. No young person will be left behind,” he assured. Despite organizers’ expectations of nearly 25,000 attendees, only a few hundred supporters were present, according to AFP correspondents. Maroua, a strategic electoral battleground bordering Nigeria and Chad, is home to 1.22 million registered voters but has been frequently targeted by the jihadist group Boko Haram. Meanwhile, opposition leader Maurice Kamto, whose candidacy was rejected in August, has urged voters to “vote freely” following the collapse of efforts to form a unified opposition front.