President’s European Sojourn Turns into Extended Absence: Macron’s Dis

Cameroon's President Paul Biya has been away from the Central African nation for two months, sparking concerns about his health and who is running the country in his absence. The 93-year-old leader left Cameroon on June 7 for a "brief private stay in Europe," according to his office.

A Long and Contested Rule

Paul Biya has been in power since 1982, and his latest absence has revived questions about his health and who is running the country while he is away. The president is rarely seen in public, and his office has repeatedly had to push back against speculation that he was seriously ill or had died. In 2024, the government banned media discussions about his health, calling them a national security matter.

Biya's long rule has also sparked a wider contrast across Africa, where several countries are still led by ageing leaders whose political careers began decades ago. The continent has the world's youngest population, but this is in stark contrast to the likes of Biya, who has been in power for over four decades.

A Generation of Leadership

For millions of Cameroonians, Biya is the only president they have ever known. Abit Riassai Acha, a 26-year-old doctoral student and community youth leader at the University of Yaoundé II, belongs to the same generation. "Growing up, President Biya was the only president I knew, so his presidency has been part of my entire experience of Cameroon," Acha said.

Acha voted for the first time in last year's presidential election, backing the youthful opposition candidate Samuel Hiram Iyodi, 38. After more than four decades under the same president, questions about his leadership have only grown. "Because this has happened repeatedly over the years, many Cameroonians have become used to it," Acha said. "But becoming accustomed to something does not necessarily mean that people should stop asking questions about how the country is being governed."

Questions About Leadership

Biya's prolonged stay overseas has left officials publicly assuring Cameroonians that their president is still alive. Government spokesman René Emmanuel Sadi told French radio RFI that "President Paul Biya is alive" and "will soon return." However, questions about his health and whereabouts have long been part of public life in Cameroon.

Rumours about Biya's health and whereabouts have long been part of public life in Cameroon, where he is rarely seen in public. His office has repeatedly had to push back against speculation that he was seriously ill or had died. In 2024, the government banned media discussions about his health, calling them a national security matter.

The Country's Problems Remain

Despite being away, Biya has continued to make key decisions from abroad, including a major military reshuffle announced earlier this month. Yet questions about his prolonged stay overseas have left officials publicly assuring Cameroonians that their president is still alive. The country's problems, however, remain.

Wilson Tamfuh, a public and international law professor at the University of Dschang in West Cameroon, said the country has institutions that can keep the government running when the president delegates responsibilities. Key duties, he said, can be handled by the prime minister, the secretary-general at the presidency and ministers. However, the bigger question, Tamfuh said, is whether the government is solving the country's longstanding problems.

The Future of Cameroon's Presidency

Biya's long rule has sparked a wider contrast across Africa, where several countries are still led by ageing leaders whose political careers began decades ago. The continent has the world's youngest population, but this is in stark contrast to the likes of Biya, who has been in power for over four decades.

The opposition candidate Samuel Hiram Iyodi has called on parliament to ask Cameroon's Constitutional Council to consider whether Biya's absence amounts to a vacancy in the presidency. However, such a move is unlikely to succeed, given the dominance of Biya's ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement. The country's future remains uncertain, and the question of who will succeed Biya when he eventually leaves office remains unanswered.

Source: JOY