Cameroon's President Paul Biya has returned after a 73-day absence
Cameroon's President Paul Biya has returned to the country after a 73-day absence. On Thursday, the 93-year-old head of state arrived in the capital, Yaoundé, from Geneva, where he had been since June 7 on what his office described as a brief private visit, according to France 24.
Biya, who has led Cameroon since 1982, landed in Yaoundé around 4:00 p.m. GMT. Cameroonian media reported that he had been in Switzerland with family members and close aides. Upon arrival, the president, accompanied by First Lady Chantal Biya, left the airport and headed to the presidential palace.
Biya was greeted at the airport by dozens of supporters of the ruling party, some of whom were wearing clothing bearing the president’s image. The head of state’s prolonged absence fueled rumors about his health and raised questions about who is running the country.
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On June 18, Communications Minister René Emmanuel Sadi denied reports that Biya had been hospitalized at a clinic in Geneva. James Fame Ndongo, a representative of the ruling party and Minister of Higher Education, had previously dismissed claims of a power vacuum, asserting that the president continued to oversee state affairs.
The opposition criticized the president’s prolonged absence, citing an “institutional vacuum” and claiming the country was operating “on autopilot.” Cameroon does not have a vice president. In the event of a power vacuum, Senate President Aboubakar Abdoulaye is to lead the country until presidential elections are held.
Since the removal of term limits in 2008, Biya has been in power longer than most Cameroonians have been alive. More than 70% of the country’s population—which totals nearly 30 million people—is under the age of 35.
