Paul Biya, Cameroon’s long-serving president since 1982 and currently the world’s oldest head of state, arrived back in Yaoundé on Thursday, August 20. His return follows an absence of over two months, a period that intensely reignited national debate regarding his continued capacity to lead the country.
The 93-year-old Cameroonian leader had left Yaoundé on June 7 for what the presidency described as a ‘short private stay in Europe’. According to reports in the Cameroonian press, he had been residing in Geneva, Switzerland, accompanied by his family and a select group of his closest collaborators.
After 73 days abroad, Paul Biya departed Yaoundé airport, acknowledging the gathered crowd with a wave through the slightly ajar window of his vehicle as it made its way towards his official residence, the Etoudi Palace. He was accompanied by his wife, Chantal Biya. Dozens of militants from the presidential party, some proudly displaying fabric adorned with the president’s likeness, had convened at the airport to welcome him in a festive atmosphere.
The state of Paul Biya’s health, a frequent visitor to Geneva, is often the subject of widespread rumors, which the government sometimes refutes. On June 18, Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi publicly denied reports of the Cameroonian leader’s hospitalization in a Geneva clinic, responding to various press articles.
This unusually extended absence has re-energized discussions about the perceived inertia within the Cameroonian government. It also drew sharp criticism from the opposition, which denounced an ‘institutional void’ and characterized the country as being on ‘autopilot,’ especially given that the appointments of a new government and a vice-president have been anticipated for several months.
“Spectacle”
“For a democracy like ours, it’s natural for a president’s prolonged absence to raise questions. However, it did not alter the country’s functioning; operations continued as normal,” defended Gilles Owono, a 30-year-old teacher who was present at the airport to greet the head of state.
James Fame Ndongo, a senior official within the presidential party and the Minister of Higher Education, dismissed accusations of a power vacuum in late July, asserting that “wherever he is, the head of state meticulously reviews the dossiers submitted to him by… his collaborators.”
Nevertheless, these repeated absences, which have spanned more than two decades, continue to fuel frustration among many Cameroonians. “It makes no difference whether he is here or not. When he is present, he accomplishes nothing. Therefore, I believe there’s no need to participate in this spectacle,” decried Prosper Nkou Mvondo, leader of the opposition Univers party.
The re-election of Paul Biya for an eighth term in October 2025 had previously led to demonstrations that were violently suppressed, with the government acknowledging “several dozens” of fatalities without providing an exact count. The contested results also drew reservations from several Western chancelleries.
This lengthy stay outside Cameroon has also intensified speculation regarding the post-Biya era, accelerating the race for his succession, which remains shrouded in considerable uncertainty. In the event of a power vacuum, and until a vice-president is officially appointed, the President of the Senate, Aboubakary Abdoulaye, would be constitutionally mandated to assume interim leadership until a presidential election could be organized.
