Cameroon President's Two-Month Absence Sparks Health and Governance Worries

Cameroonian President Paul Biya has now been abroad for exactly two months, a prolonged absence that is fueling concerns over his health and creating a potential governance vacuum in the Central African nation. Biya, the world's oldest serving president at 93, has led Cameroon since 1982 and embarked on his eighth term after a controversial election victory in November.

His current trip, which began on June 7 for a brief stay in Europe according to his office, has become one of his longest overseas journeys. The president's health has long been a subject of speculation, as he frequently spends weeks in Europe, often in France and Switzerland, while leaving the country's administration to key party officials and family members. The Cameroonian constitution does not explicitly prohibit a president from leaving the country for months.

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Biya's very long stay in Switzerland only exacerbates this lack of legitimacy and his desperate attempts to cling to power by force.

However, the absence of a vice president, an appointment Biya holds complete control over, has led the opposition to describe the country as being run on "autopilot." Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a presidential candidate in November and a former Biya ally, stated that there is a widespread perception in Cameroon that "something is not right" with Biya, and his absence has generated significant discontent among the opposition. "Biya's very long stay in Switzerland only exacerbates this lack of legitimacy and his desperate attempts to cling to power by force," Tchiroma said in a message from exile in Gambia.

Biya's nearly half-century in power has yielded mixed results. Boko Haram insurgencies in the north and separatist conflicts in the west, coupled with a stagnant economy, have left many young Cameroonians disillusioned. Wilson Tamfuh, a professor of public and international law at the University of Dschang, likened Cameroon to a "seriously ill" human body. "Even if Biya continues to show strength at this age, it is clear that his health problems are affecting his leadership. Cabinet reshuffles over the past 15 years have amounted to little more than recycling the same people from one ministry to another," Tamfuh noted. Biya's re-election in 2025 was met with widespread protests, resulting in at least four deaths, highlighting the significant tensions between the predominantly young population and its aging leader. Biya recently reshuffled military leadership, replacing commanders in four of the country's five joint military regions and promoting several senior officers.

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Even if Biya continues to show strength at this age, it is clear that his health problems are affecting his leadership. Cabinet reshuffles over the past 15 years have amounted to little more than recycling the same people from one ministry to another.