Crédit photo, AFP via Getty Images
Cameroonian President Paul Biya, a longstanding national figure and the world’s oldest head of state, has initiated a significant military reshuffle. This move comes as public anxiety mounts over his extended absence from the country, now spanning nearly two months.
The 93-year-old leader has appointed new officials to critical positions within the armed forces and elevated five colonels to the rank of brigadier general.
Such military restructuring is not uncommon during Biya’s lengthy tenure, often occurring amidst periods of heightened public scrutiny or perceived governmental vulnerability.
Notably, a similar shake-up of the military command took place three years ago, immediately following an unexpected coup in neighboring Gabon that toppled the Bongo dynasty and sent shockwaves across the African continent. Last year, as he pursued a controversial eighth term in the presidential election, Biya again reorganized the army’s senior ranks. More recently, in June, he promoted several members of the defense and security forces to higher grades.
The specific circumstances surrounding these latest changes have ignited considerable debate, particularly across social media platforms.
President Biya issued these appointments via distinct decrees on Monday, all from Geneva, Switzerland. He has been residing there since departing Cameroon on June 7 for what his office initially described as a “brief private stay.”
Within Cameroon, widespread criticism has emerged regarding the scarcity of information about his activities and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the duration of his international trip.
Despite promising a new government after last year’s elections, that pledge remains unfulfilled. The position of Vice-President, established in April, also continues to be vacant.
Throughout his nearly 60-day absence, Biya has signed several other decrees, including authorizations for his government to finalize loan agreements with various international financial institutions.
His prolonged absence has fueled renewed speculation concerning his health, although the government has consistently refuted reports of his hospitalization.
Two years prior, press freedom organizations voiced outrage when Cameroonian media outlets were reportedly prohibited from reporting on the President’s health status.
Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, affirmed in an interview that President Biya is alive and expected to return home soon. He also dismissed opposition claims that the nonagenarian leader’s absence constituted a vacuum at the head of state, insisting that Biya continues to conduct official duties from Geneva.
However, Mamadou Mota, Vice-President of the opposition CRM party, contends that President Biya’s extended absence signifies a “flagrant institutional void” in Cameroon. “Executive power is exercised at the nation’s core, not through smoke signals or telepathy from hotel suites across the world,” Mota declared last month.
