Cameroon: president paul biya’s return sparks leadership debate

President Paul Biya, Cameroon’s long-serving leader since 1982 and the world’s oldest head of state, arrived back in Yaoundé on Thursday, August 20. His return follows an absence of over two months, which reignited intense national debate concerning his continued capacity to govern 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.” Local media outlets had reported his presence in Geneva, Switzerland, accompanied by his family and a select group of close aides.

After 73 days away from the nation, Paul Biya was seen departing Yaoundé airport, acknowledging the assembled crowd with a wave through the partially open window of his vehicle. He was en route to his official residence, the Etoudi Palace, alongside his wife, Chantal Biya. Dozens of supporters from the presidential party, some adorned in fabric bearing the president’s likeness, had gathered at the airport, creating a celebratory atmosphere for his arrival.

President Biya’s health, particularly given his frequent stays in Geneva, has consistently fueled speculation, which the government has occasionally refuted. On June 18, Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi specifically denied reports in the press alleging the Cameroonian leader’s hospitalization at a Geneva clinic.

This unusually prolonged absence reignited discussions about the perceived inertia within the Cameroonian government. It drew sharp criticism from the opposition, which condemned an “institutional vacuum” and described the country as being on “autopilot,” especially as the appointment of a new government and a vice-president had been pending for several months.

“Spectacle”

Gilles Owono, a 30-year-old teacher present at the airport to greet the head of state, commented, “For a democracy like ours, a president’s extended absence naturally raises questions. However, this has not altered the country’s operations; it has continued to function.”

Towards the end of July, James Fame Ndongo, a senior figure in the presidential party and Minister of Higher Education, dismissed allegations of a power vacuum. He asserted that “wherever he may be, the head of state meticulously oversees the matters submitted to him by his collaborators.”

Nevertheless, these recurring 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 accomplishes nothing. Therefore, I believe there is no need to participate in this spectacle.”

The re-election of Paul Biya for an eighth term in October 2025 had previously sparked protests that were violently put down – with the government acknowledging “several dozen” fatalities without providing a precise toll. The results, disputed by the opposition, also led to a degree of apprehension among Western diplomatic circles.

This extended period away from Cameroon also fueled intense speculation regarding the post-Biya era, accelerating the unofficial race for his succession, though the path forward 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, pending the organization of a presidential election.