YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON — The prolonged absence of Cameroon’s long-serving President, Paul Biya, has once again sparked intense debate over a looming power vacuum in the Central African nation. As of this weekend, it has been 48 days since the 93-year-old leader—currently the world’s oldest head of state—departed Cameroon for Switzerland.
An official government statement previously indicated that Biya left on June 7 alongside First Lady Chantal Biya for a “short, private stay in Europe.” However, the extended trip to Geneva has fueled widespread speculation regarding his health.
While Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi swiftly denied rumors in mid-June that the President had been hospitalized, the political opposition is growing increasingly vocal. They argue the country is suffering from severe government inaction.
“A Glaring Institutional Vacuum”
Opposition figures have sharply criticized the prolonged absence. Mamadou Mota, Vice-President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), recently pointed to the situation as evidence of a “glaring institutional vacuum.” Similarly, the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) has publicly declared that the nation is currently running on “autopilot.”
Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, president of the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC), has taken things a step further, urging the government to establish an impartial procedure to determine if the head of state is facing a temporary or permanent incapacity to rule.
The ruling party has aggressively dismissed these concerns. Jacques Fame Ndongo, a senior official and Minister of Higher Education, assured the public this week that there is no crisis. “Wherever he is, the head of state is meticulously following the files submitted to him by his aides,” Ndongo stated.
Frustrations Mount Over Stalled Governance
This is not the first time Biya’s extended stays abroad have triggered alarm; late in 2024, the President spent nearly 50 days outside the country. However, public patience appears to be wearing thin against a backdrop of deep political stagnation.
Citizens are still waiting for a new government team that President Biya promised to form during his December 31 address—a pledge that remains unfulfilled seven months later. Furthermore, both municipal and legislative elections have been indefinitely postponed, extending the terms of sitting officials and further frustrating a populace craving renewal.
“People are worn out from waiting,” noted Viviane Ondoua Biwole, a professor of public management at the University of Yaounde. She pointed out that the current administration has been in place for a record eight years, and the violently repressed protests that followed Biya’s re-election for an eighth term in October have left citizens eager for a political reset.
The Uncharted “Post-Biya” Era
Behind the scenes, preparations for a post-Biya Cameroon are reportedly fueling intense factional battles.
In an attempt to introduce institutional reform, authorities passed a constitutional change in May to create a new vice-presidential post. However, no one has been appointed to fill the role yet. The uncertainty is so high that in June, a forged presidential decree announcing a new vice-president was delivered to a public radio station, though journalists quickly identified the document as a fake before broadcasting it.
Political analysts note that leaks regarding infighting among Biya’s inner circle are becoming more frequent. A significant faction is reportedly forming around First Lady Chantal Biya, whose name is increasingly mentioned in relation to high-level state appointments and decision-making.
Until the vacant vice-presidential seat is filled, the constitution dictates that Senate President Aboubakary Abdoulaye is next in line to assume leadership in the event of a total power vacuum, pending new elections. For now, Cameroonians continue to wait for their President’s return, watching closely as the political maneuvering in Yaoundé intensifies.
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