René Sadi
Encyclopedia
René Emmanuel Sadi is a Cameroon
ian politician who has been the Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
(RDPC), the ruling political party in Cameroon, since 2007. Under President Paul Biya
, he was Second Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidency from 2004 to 2009 and has been Minister in charge of Special Duties since 2009.
, located in the Far North Region of Cameroon. Unlike most people in Cameroon's predominantly Muslim north, Sadi is a Christian. He began working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1975 and was subsequently appointed to a post at the Cameroonian Embassy to Egypt
. Later, he was in charge of special duties at the Presidency of the Republic and headed the diplomatic affairs division at the Presidency.
Sadi was Technical Adviser to the Cabinet of the President from 1983 to 1985. After working for three months as Director of Studies and Information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was appointed as Deputy Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency. He was then appointed again as Technical Adviser to the Presidency; subsequently he was Technical Adviser at the head of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency's diplomatic affairs division from 1995 to 2004.
President Paul Biya
appointed Sadi as Second Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidency on 8 December 2004; Sadi was installed in that position on 21 December. In his capacity as National President of the CPDM, Biya appointed Sadi as Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the RDPC on 4 April 2007. Sadi succeeded Joseph Charles Doumba
, whose health was reportedly poor, as Secretary-General.
Speaking to The Post prior to the July 2007 parliamentary election
, Sadi expressed satisfaction with his party's mobilization and explained that he was delivering Biya's message, which "dwells on hope and encouragement", on the campaign trail. He said that the RDPC's priorities included electoral reform, decentralization of decision-making to the local level, measures to promote good governance
and fight corruption, the development of the economy and cooperation with the private sector, and improvements in education and public health
. Following the election, in which the RDPC won an overwhelming majority of seats, Sadi denied the opposition's accusations of fraud; according to Sadi, the opposition displayed an undemocratic mindset by refusing to acknowledge legitimate defeat and blaming the RDPC instead of engaging in self-criticism. Sadi said that the RDPC won because it had delivered real results to the people and engaged in grassroots
campaigning.
By 2008, there was speculation that Sadi, who held a key post at the Presidency and was also the RDPC's Secretary-General, could potentially succeed the aging Biya as President of the Republic, possibly at the time of the 2011 presidential election or the subsequent election. Sadi was regarded as a powerful figure; unlike the rest of the political elite, he was reputedly "strong enough to challenge presidential decisions, and even ... disobey such directives". According to one analysis, Sadi was Biya's most likely successor. It was surmised that the RDPC leadership would prefer a successor who was not associated with Biya's own native region in the south, and Sadi's status as a northerner of Christian faith could enable him to appeal broadly across both the largely Muslim north and the largely Christian south.
Biya moved Sadi to the post of Minister in charge of Special Duties on 30 June 2009. Acting on Biya's behalf, Sadi went to ELECAM, the electoral commission, and submitted Biya's papers to stand as the RDPC candidate for the October 2011 presidential election
on 4 September 2011.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
ian politician who has been the Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is the ruling political party in Cameroon.-History:Previously known as the Cameroon National Union, which had dominated Cameroon politics since independence in 1960, it was renamed in 1985...
(RDPC), the ruling political party in Cameroon, since 2007. Under President Paul Biya
Paul Biya
Paul Biya is a Cameroonian politician who has been the President of Cameroon since 6 November 1982. A native of Cameroon's south, Biya rose rapidly as a bureaucrat under President Ahmadou Ahidjo in the 1960s, serving as Secretary-General of the Presidency from 1968 to 1975 and then as Prime...
, he was Second Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidency from 2004 to 2009 and has been Minister in charge of Special Duties since 2009.
Administrative and political career
Sadi was born in MarouaMaroua
Maroua is the capital of the Far North Region of Cameroon, on the Ferngo and Kaliao Rivers. The city had 201,371 inhabitants at the 2005 Census,and is a centre of cotton industry. The city also has an airport located near the town of Salak, an agricultural school and ethnographic museum. To the...
, located in the Far North Region of Cameroon. Unlike most people in Cameroon's predominantly Muslim north, Sadi is a Christian. He began working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1975 and was subsequently appointed to a post at the Cameroonian Embassy to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Later, he was in charge of special duties at the Presidency of the Republic and headed the diplomatic affairs division at the Presidency.
Sadi was Technical Adviser to the Cabinet of the President from 1983 to 1985. After working for three months as Director of Studies and Information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was appointed as Deputy Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency. He was then appointed again as Technical Adviser to the Presidency; subsequently he was Technical Adviser at the head of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency's diplomatic affairs division from 1995 to 2004.
President Paul Biya
Paul Biya
Paul Biya is a Cameroonian politician who has been the President of Cameroon since 6 November 1982. A native of Cameroon's south, Biya rose rapidly as a bureaucrat under President Ahmadou Ahidjo in the 1960s, serving as Secretary-General of the Presidency from 1968 to 1975 and then as Prime...
appointed Sadi as Second Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidency on 8 December 2004; Sadi was installed in that position on 21 December. In his capacity as National President of the CPDM, Biya appointed Sadi as Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the RDPC on 4 April 2007. Sadi succeeded Joseph Charles Doumba
Joseph Charles Doumba
Joseph Charles Doumba is a Cameroonian politician. First appointed to the government of Cameroon as Minister of Information and Culture in 1974, Doumba was Secretary-General of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement from 1992 to 2007.Doumba was designated as Secretary-General of the RDPC, the...
, whose health was reportedly poor, as Secretary-General.
Speaking to The Post prior to the July 2007 parliamentary election
Cameroonian parliamentary election, 2007
A parliamentary election was held in Cameroon on 22 July 2007, with some polls held again on 30 September 2007. 1,274 candidates stood for the 180 seats in the National Assembly, with 41 parties participating...
, Sadi expressed satisfaction with his party's mobilization and explained that he was delivering Biya's message, which "dwells on hope and encouragement", on the campaign trail. He said that the RDPC's priorities included electoral reform, decentralization of decision-making to the local level, measures to promote good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
and fight corruption, the development of the economy and cooperation with the private sector, and improvements in education and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
. Following the election, in which the RDPC won an overwhelming majority of seats, Sadi denied the opposition's accusations of fraud; according to Sadi, the opposition displayed an undemocratic mindset by refusing to acknowledge legitimate defeat and blaming the RDPC instead of engaging in self-criticism. Sadi said that the RDPC won because it had delivered real results to the people and engaged in grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
campaigning.
By 2008, there was speculation that Sadi, who held a key post at the Presidency and was also the RDPC's Secretary-General, could potentially succeed the aging Biya as President of the Republic, possibly at the time of the 2011 presidential election or the subsequent election. Sadi was regarded as a powerful figure; unlike the rest of the political elite, he was reputedly "strong enough to challenge presidential decisions, and even ... disobey such directives". According to one analysis, Sadi was Biya's most likely successor. It was surmised that the RDPC leadership would prefer a successor who was not associated with Biya's own native region in the south, and Sadi's status as a northerner of Christian faith could enable him to appeal broadly across both the largely Muslim north and the largely Christian south.
Biya moved Sadi to the post of Minister in charge of Special Duties on 30 June 2009. Acting on Biya's behalf, Sadi went to ELECAM, the electoral commission, and submitted Biya's papers to stand as the RDPC candidate for the October 2011 presidential election
Cameroonian presidential election, 2011
A presidential election was held in Cameroon on 9 October 2011. President Paul Biya stood for another term; he was able to do so due to a constitutional amendment, passed in 2008, that eliminated term limits...
on 4 September 2011.