Biya’s “short stay abroad”: The unanswered questions.

Against that backdrop, many had anticipated a change of government within that time frame, given that the same old team with some ministers and General Managers, in office for over two decades, have ran out of new ideas, fresh focus and invigorated direction to propel envisaged “reforms”.

In December, his first end-of-year speech to the nation after the October oath of office, President Biya promised to reshuffle the anachronistic cabinet in “the coming days,” not weeks, not months.

He began the reforms by renewing the Higher Judicial Council, which in five years has not functioned against a legal yearly session. Expectations were high in anticipation of a Judicial Council meeting and the appointment of a Vice President.

It was when Jeune Afrique disclosed, a week after the Head of State’s current trip abroad, that he had been hospitalised in a private clinic in Geneva, that the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, officially confirmed his location in Geneva.

But in refuting part of the scoop as "malicious and unfounded speculation," he clarified that President Biya was in Geneva, not receiving medical care, but diligently managing the affairs of the State.

As the President’s short stay abroad is prolonging into over 40 days, news hunters at home and abroad are screaming with headlines like:

“Paul Biya à Genève, le Cameroun sans Président”,  “Cameroun: 40 jours sans Biya”, “Un Vice-Président attendu’’, “Paul Biya: 39 jours d'absence, le Cameroun s'interroge”, “Preuve de vie de Paul Biya: l'heure est grave, le pot aux”, “Six semaines sans apparition publique”, “Cameroun: Le mystère de l'absence prolongée de Paul Biya”, "Où est passé Paul Biya?", "Chaos imminent au Cameroun sans Paul Biya”, ‘’Grosse inquietude sur l'absence du President Paul Biya”.

Determined not to be outpaced by their French language reporters and commentators, the headlines in English language newspapers took the cue: “Biya's Geneva stay sharpens succession risk”, “Political uncertainty mounts as President Biya extends stay”, ‘’Cameroon holds its breath as Biya, 93, lingers in Geneva”, “Paul Biya’s longest silence in a tense year”, etc

These headlines are not just like reviewing a book by reading the cover. They portray a government in suspense, speculation, rumours, mistrust and panic, not due to mere bureaucratic delays.

It touches a problem of balance between institutions. The type of situation is particularly explosive, because it obscures a fundamental principle: who makes the final decision?

In that limbo, a civil servant had the audacity to be escorted, probably by fake security to the national television to appoint a Vice President, who constitutionally, should in the absence of the Head of State take the rely.

What is the length of a “short stay” of over 40 days, since the Head of State was officially announced to be abroad for a private mission?

Does a “private stay” imply that the Head of State officially works from Geneva? If so, for how long? How secured is such a mode of communication, especially given the rate at which scammers divert, edit and present fake information?

Such crucial questions have not been answered by the government and as such, giving the media the leeway to pry into the affairs of the President, which is also that of the government. Consequences transcend boundaries.

Africa Confidential reported under the head line: “Cameroon holds its breath as Biya, 93, lingers in Geneva.”  It added that “Cameroon is the largest economy and banking market in the six-nation CEMAC bloc; a chaotic succession would ripple across Central Africa.”

On July 9, 2026, Channel Africa, the international service of South Africa’s public broadcaster, reported  that relatives and senior officials, including Biya’s eldest son, Franck, were urgently summoned to Switzerland, allegedly on succession issue.

Legally in case of a vacancy, it is the President of the Senate, who takes over, but the new Constitution, revised last year, has reintroduced the post of Vice President, to fill such a gap should it exist.

But without the appointment of a Vice President of the Republic, the change, “may be messier,” the South Africa medium quoted geopolitical analyst, Aaron Nga’mbi. It added that “factions who benefit from Biya’s Presidency have worked to keep him in office. His permanent absence, he said, would likely trigger infighting and fracture the ruling party.”

The CPDM party is not unaware of that risk, which may explain why its Secretary General, Jean Nkuete, in a recent press statement, alerted supporters that “during this period preceding major elections, is a time ripe for all maneuvers to manipulate public opinion: tribalist and hateful rhetoric, the creation of divisions among the President's staff and the National President, the exploitation of local and foreign media for political gain, etc. In this context, the Secretary General of the Central Committee places particular emphasis on the imperative of strengthening party unity. He specifically reminds all those who, in any capacity, speak in the media on behalf of or for the CPDM, to respect the principles of prudence, humility, discipline, discernment, and responsibility, and above all, to avoid making untimely statements on any subject, as well as personal and contradictory remarks that could damage the party's image or lend credence to the narrative of internal discord and division”.

But the ruling party and government are not explaining why a short stay is running into weeks, which many pundits classify as symptomatic of a system where the leader's health remains a closely guarded State secret, while promised reforms yawn in defiance of the demands of democratic transparency and brew perilous conspiracy theories not helpful to the President and nation. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3853 of Monday July 20, 2026