The RDPC’s central committee secretary-general, Jean Nkuete, announced an important working session through a Wednesday communiqué. The document provided no insight into the meeting’s objectives or the reasons behind it. President Biya, now 93, departed Cameroon on June 7, with the presidential civil cabinet citing a brief private stay in Europe. Since then, no official update has been issued regarding his return.

Weeks of silence have fueled speculation and debate. The RDPC has been quick to counter concerns. In a July 15 editorial published in L’Action, Christophe Mien Zok, the party’s director of propaganda, insisted that “the government is fully operational” and that “the Lion has not stepped away”, dismissing claims that the country is being run on autopilot. Official presidential channels have continued to release statements attributed to Biya, including greetings sent to French President Emmanuel Macron for Bastille Day and the Montenegrin president. No public engagements or activities have been disclosed since his departure.

Opposition demands answers

Calls for clarity have grown louder among opposition leaders. Deputy Jean-Michel Nintcheu has urged the Constitutional Council to declare a vacancy in the presidency. Meanwhile, the Union démocratique du Cameroun (UDC) has taken a more measured stance, avoiding speculation about Biya’s personal situation. However, the party argues that the state’s continuity cannot rely solely on silence or assumptions. In an official statement released on July 18, the UDC acknowledged that an extended absence from national territory does not automatically constitute a power vacuum. Still, it emphasized the need to scrutinize how presidential duties are being carried out and to review the mechanisms for handling temporary incapacitation.

Constitution lacks clarity on prolonged absences

Cameroon’s legal framework does not specify a maximum duration for a president’s absence from the country. Analysts argue this gap warrants institutional review, yet no law defines the threshold at which the Constitutional Council should intervene. The UDC also highlighted that the vice-presidency, reintroduced during a constitutional amendment in April, remains unfilled. The party is advocating for legal reforms to clarify the procedures governing prolonged presidential absences. President Biya, in power since 1982, has frequently traveled to Europe, but his current trip—now the longest since assuming office—has unfolded without any official indication of his return.