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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Biya’s 48-day absence reignites debate over power vacuum in Cameroon

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Cameroon's President Paul Biya, 93, has been absent from the country for 48 days during a private stay in Switzerland, sparking debate about government inaction.
  • Opposition figures describe the situation as a "glaring institutional vacuum" and the country being "on autopilot" due to the president's prolonged absences.
  • Despite promises of a government reshuffle after his re-election, no new team has been formed, fueling public frustration over government inertia.

Cameroon's long-serving President Paul Biya's extended absence in Switzerland, now at 48 days, has reignited concerns about government inaction and a potential power vacuum. Biya, 93, who has been in power for over four decades, left Cameroon in early June for what an official statement described as a "short, private stay in Europe."

glaring institutional vacuum

— Mamadou MotaVice-president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), describing the impact of President Biya's absence.

The president's frequent trips to Geneva have often led to speculation about his health, despite government denials. Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi recently issued a statement refuting reports of Biya being hospitalized. However, opposition parties view these absences as symptomatic of a deeper issue. Mamadou Mota, vice-president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), described the situation as a "glaring institutional vacuum."

an impartial procedure for determining the temporary or permanent incapacity of the head of state.

— Patricia Tomaino Ndam NjoyaPresident of the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC), calling for a mechanism to assess the president's fitness to rule.

Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, president of the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC), has called for a procedure to determine the head of state's incapacity. Conversely, a senior ruling party official, Jacques Fame Ndongo, dismissed these concerns, asserting that Biya remains actively involved in governance remotely. This is not the first time such allegations have surfaced; similar debates arose during Biya's 50-day absence in late 2024.

Wherever he is, the head of state is meticulously following the files submitted to him… by his aides.

— Jacques Fame NdongoA senior official in the ruling party, dismissing accusations of a power vacuum.

Public frustration over government inertia is palpable, with many Cameroonians feeling "worn out from waiting." Viviane Ondoua Biwole, a professor at the University of Yaounde, noted that the current government has been in place for eight years, and following an election with "very mixed results," many expected a renewal. Biya's re-election for an eighth term in October was met with protests and opposition challenges, and despite his December 31 promise to form a new government "in the coming days," seven months have passed without action.

on autopilot

— Social Democratic Front (SDF) partyDescribing the state of the country during the president's absence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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