Key facts
- President Paul Biya of Cameroon has been out of the country for 53 days.
- Officials have given conflicting accounts of Biya's health and activities abroad.
- Opposition leaders and citizens are concerned about governance and economic stability.
- The office of vice-president has been reintroduced but remains unfilled.
- Biya, 93, has been in power since 1982.
Cameroon's President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state at 93, has been absent from the country for a record 53 days, sparking renewed speculation about his health and creating an institutional vacuum. Biya departed for Switzerland on June 7 for a "brief private stay" with his wife, Chantal, and has not been seen publicly or addressed the nation since.
Government officials have offered conflicting explanations for his prolonged absence. Minister of Communication René Emmanuel Sadi stated Biya is in good health and working from Geneva, dismissing contrary reports as "fantasy and malicious manipulation." Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo claimed Biya is meticulously following submitted files, while Labour Minister Grégoire Owona described the absence as annual leave, asserting Biya's right as an elected worker.
Despite an official ban on discussing Biya's health, local media and social media have seen a resurgence of claims and jokes about his condition and remote governance. Opposition figures, including Mamadou Mota of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, have decried the "glaring institutional vacuum" and the inability to govern by "remote control" while critical socioeconomic challenges persist.
Biya, who has been in power since 1982 and was sworn in for his eighth consecutive term last November following an election marred by irregularities, has yet to name a new government. This prolonged absence and the potential disruption to the electoral cycle, with parliamentary and municipal elections expected in 2027, are causing significant concern.
Cameroon faces high unemployment, inflation, and poor infrastructure, impacting its young population. Opposition parties, such as the Movement for Patriotism and People’s Prosperity, criticize the ruling CPDM party's focus on retaining power over addressing citizens' concerns. Concerns have also been raised about significant borrowing undertaken in the president's name without clear disclosure of his whereabouts or capacity.
Calls for transparency regarding Biya's health and whereabouts have been made by various opposition leaders, with some advocating for an impartial procedure to determine his capacity. The recent reintroduction of the vice-president office, which remains unfilled, leaves Cameroon without a designated deputy. Business leaders, like Nji Lucas, express a lack of investor confidence due to the uncertainty surrounding political leadership, emphasizing that serious investors require certainty for long-term commitments.