Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state at 93, has been in Switzerland since early June, marking 48 days away from his country. This prolonged absence has sparked renewed criticism regarding government stagnation within a nation eager for political transition. While officials characterized the departure as a private visit, the lack of transparency has led to persistent health rumors, which the government has formally refuted.
Political opposition leaders have voiced strong concerns, describing the situation as an institutional void. Figures such as Mamadou Mota of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement and Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya of the Cameroon Democratic Union have called for formal procedures to assess the president’s capacity to govern. Conversely, ruling party officials maintain that Biya continues to manage state affairs remotely through his aides.
This is not the first time such claims of a leadership vacuum have emerged. Citizens and experts, including Professor Viviane Ondoua Biwole, express exhaustion with the current administration’s lack of progress, noting that promises of a new government made last December remain unfulfilled. Furthermore, repeated delays for municipal and legislative elections, alongside the failure to appoint a vice-president despite constitutional reforms, have intensified uncertainty.
As internal factions allegedly compete for influence—with speculation surrounding the role of First Lady Chantal Biya—the race for succession remains a point of deep instability. In the absence of a vice-president, the senate president would be the designated successor, though the political future of the nation remains clouded by ongoing, unresolved leadership concerns.
