Polemics of Biya’s “private visits” abroad!.

He added that: “The Head of State is accompanied on this trip by an official delegation, the composition of which is as follows: Mr Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, Minister, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic; Vice Admiral Joseph Fouda, Special Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic; and Simon Pierre Bikele, Chief of State Protocol.”

No specific destination in Europe has been announced by the Presidency, but speculations are rife that it is Switzerland, where he regularly takes “shot private” trips.

A discreet departure, a small entourage and no details on the exact duration of the stay, or any planned meetings. It is not yet known whether any diplomatic agendas are attached to the trip, even unofficially. 

This type of trip, presented as strictly personal, is common for the Presidential Couple.

Paul Biya regularly makes trips to Europe, sometimes extended, without the Presidency providing an official itinerary; thus causing problematic debates, misinformation and even violent attacks abroad.

Such “short trips” have in the past lasted from two days, to a prolonged one in 2004, which triggered rumours that he had passed on.

He later returned to the country and jokingly said on arrival at the Nsimalen International Airport in June 2004, that: "For people interested in my funeral, I give them an appointment in 20 years."

The 20-year deadline has already passed, the 93-year-old leader remains in office, making him the oldest current Head of State in the world and the longest consecutively serving non-royal leader globally.

After the Fourth Forum of the China-Africa Cooperation Summit on September 2, 2024, rumours, constellation and questions about his bill of health swirled for week as he did not return home.

As speculations about his bill of health went viral in the national and international media with some gutter reports insinuating that he had passed on again, the Minister, Director of the Civil Cabinet, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, and Communication Minister and Government’s Spokesman, Rene Sadi, refuted.

They explained that he was in excellent health and would return to Cameroon in the next few days. 

Their clarification was followed by an October 9, 2024 instruction by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, to Regional Governors, banning any debate in the media on Biya’s health. The MINAT boss warned offenders would face the full force of the law.

Atanga Nji, who is also the Permanent Secretary of Cameroon’s National Security Council, ordered Governors to create monitoring units to track and record all broadcasts and debates in privately owned media and on social media to identify the suspects. 

The move however had a boomerang effect, with the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ, in a swift response the next day pointed out from New York  that: “The Cameroonian government should end its threats to sanction journalists who report on the condition and whereabouts of President Paul Biya; who has not been seen publicly for over a month and has missed scheduled international engagements”.

One of such engagements was his absence at the 79th Session of the United Nations, UN General Assembly, on September 10, 2024. That was when Philemon Yang was taking office as President of the prestigious world organisation.

Angela Quintal, Head of CPJ’s Africa Programme in the statement, added that: “The Cameroonian government should simply put the rumours to rest, by arranging a public appearance by the Head of State,” after the suspicious absence.

“The health of the President, who has been in power for 41 years and may seek re-election next year[2025], is of public interest. Any misguided attempt to censor reporting about his health for national security reasons simply fuels rampant speculation,” she had said in the October 10, 2024 statement.

President Biya finally arrived in Yaounde, looking robust and to a hilarious welcome. 

However, that did not dampen the impact of headlines such as: “The absentee governance model”; “Paul Biya: Cameroon's 'absentee President'” and “Hands-off style of rule...”.

They were later aggravate by the country’s former Communication Minister, Issa Tchiroma, who said, after quitting government, that Biya governs by proxy.

There is no gainsaying the fact that such reports and speculations on the absence of the President, harms the image of the country. 

The warp argument that concealing the destination of the Head of State and duration for a trip, may be to prevent the vicious activities of those who are known to have disturbed his vacation in Switzerland, is not tenable. 

With the spying lenses of the android phones, especially in Europe, where investigative journalism is the modern norm, hiding the destination of any Head of State only makes it a scoop for news hunters.

Even if the Head of State is ill, like any human being, especially at his old age, should his compatriots not be told about his conditions for them to pray for quick recovery?

As a public figure, is the unwritten rule not that his bill of health, is public issue, as in the United States, Egypt and Rwanda for example, so as to evaluate his capability for leadership?.

The Constitution and Electoral Code require that the President be capable of carrying out his/her duties but is silent on showing proof of capability not at variance with such provisions?

Be that as it is, The Guardian Post wishes President Biya a tranquil stay in Europe to reflect on the hot files to handle when he returns.

Such a holiday should provide a vital rest and elevated perspective to convene  the Higher Judicial Council, whose membership he recently renewed; appoint a Vice President; reshuffle the government and appoint General Managers of State corporations, to replace those who have exhausted their legally imposed maximum mandates of three years renewable twice, among other State matters he must personally handle.

History and research teach that being a Head of State is a “public” personality and any of his actions, including going on leave or health bill, should commensurately be “public issue”.

That will avoid the pitfalls that have hobbled the regime with speculations of ruling through proxies, health issues and strenuous defence by his spin machinery, some of which have ridiculed his press freedom legislation, enacted in 1990.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3812 of Tuesday June 09, 2026