Cameroon military reshuffle amid president’s prolonged absence
A historic decree signed on August 3 has reshaped Cameroon’s military leadership, with four generals appointed to key security roles, including Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo as head of the presidential guard—a first for the position.
A sweeping military reshuffle has been announced in Cameroon, coinciding with President Paul Biya’s extended absence from the country, now approaching two months.
The August 3 decree formalized the appointments of four generals, reinforcing the president’s protective apparatus. Among them, General Ebaka Hypolite has been named major-general of the armed forces, while retaining his position as major-general of the army. At 73, he remains Cameroon’s second-highest-ranking military official after Chief of Staff General René Claude Meka.
This leadership restructuring occurs amid mounting questions about President Biya’s prolonged stay abroad. Since departing on June 7 for what officials describe as a “private visit to Europe,” the 93-year-old leader has not been seen in public. The government insists his health remains stable and that his return is imminent.
Opposition figures, however, have criticized the absence as a sign of institutional instability, calling Cameroon’s governance “autopilot mode.” Calls for a vice-president and a new government have grown louder over recent months, reflecting deepening concerns about transparency and succession.
