Cameroon: president paul biya returns after extended european stay

Paul Biya, who has governed Cameroon since 1982 and holds the distinction of being the world’s longest-serving head of state, made his return to Yaoundé on Thursday, August 20. His absence, spanning over two months, reignited intense national debate regarding his ongoing capacity to lead the West African nation.

The 93-year-old Cameroonian leader had departed Yaoundé on June 7 for what the presidency described as a “brief private stay in Europe.” Reports from the Cameroonian media indicated his presence in Geneva, Switzerland, accompanied by his family and a select group of close aides.

Following 73 days abroad, Paul Biya exited Yaoundé airport, acknowledging the gathered crowd with a wave through the partially open window of his vehicle, which was en route to his official residence, the Etoudi Palace. He was accompanied by his wife, Chantal Biya. Dozens of supporters from the presidential party, some adorned in fabric featuring the president’s likeness, had assembled at the airport, creating a celebratory atmosphere for his arrival.

The health status of Paul Biya, known for his frequent stays in Geneva, has consistently fueled numerous rumors, which the government occasionally refutes. On June 18, René Emmanuel Sadi, the Minister of Communication, officially denied reports of the Cameroonian leader’s hospitalization at a Geneva clinic, responding to various press articles.

This unusually prolonged absence reignited discussions about the perceived sluggishness of the Cameroonian government and drew sharp criticism from the opposition. Opponents decried an “institutional void” and described the nation as being on “autopilot,” especially as appointments for a new government and a vice-president have been pending for several months.

A “spectacle”

Gilles Owono, a 30-year-old educator who was present at the airport to greet the head of state, offered a defense: “For a democracy like ours, it’s natural for a president’s extended absence to raise questions. However, this changed nothing in the country’s operations; it continued to function.”

In late July, James Fame Ndongo, a senior figure within the presidential party and Minister of Higher Education, dismissed allegations of a power vacuum. He asserted that “wherever he is, the head of state meticulously oversees the files submitted to him by… his collaborators.”

Nevertheless, these recurrent absences, spanning over two decades, continue to fuel widespread frustration among many Cameroonians. Prosper Nkou Mvondo, leader of the opposition Univers party, sharply criticized the situation, stating, “It makes no difference whether he is here or not. When he is present, he does nothing. Therefore, I see no need to participate in this spectacle.”

Paul Biya’s re-election to an eighth term in October 2025 had previously led to protests that were violently suppressed, with the government acknowledging “several dozens” of deaths without providing an exact toll. The outcome, disputed by the opposition, also generated a degree of apprehension among Western diplomatic missions.

This extended period away from Cameroon also fueled speculation regarding the post-Biya era, intensifying the race for his succession, a process that remains shrouded in uncertainty. In the absence of a designated vice-president, the responsibility to assume leadership in the event of a power vacuum would fall to the President of the Senate, Aboubakary Abdoulaye, until a presidential election could be organized.