YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon — In a widely disputed election that has sparked protests across the country, Cameroon's president — the world's oldest head of state — has claimed an unprecedented eighth term in office.

Paul Biya, 92, has ruled the Central African nation since 1982. On Monday, the Constitutional Council declared him the winner with 53.7% of the vote, compared to 35.2% for opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

If he serves out his new seven-year term, Biya would remain in power until nearly he was nearly 100-years-old.

The country of 30 million — on the world's youngest continent — has a median age of just 19. Most Cameroonians have known only one president, who rarely appears in public and spends long stretches abroad, particularly in Switzerland.

Cameroon faces multiple crises:

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