51 Days Without a Photo or Speech: Mystery Surrounds the World’s Oldest President
The 51-day absence from public view of a 93-year-old African president has fueled speculation and rumors.
This is the situation in Cameroon, where questions are mounting over the whereabouts of President Paul Biya, amid the absence of any public appearance or recent photograph of him since he left the country on an overseas trip 51 days ago.
According to the website, Biya, 93, the world’s oldest serving head of state, left the capital Yaoundé on June 7 with his wife, Chantal, in what the presidency described at the time as a “short private visit to Europe,” without disclosing his destination or the duration of the trip.
The last public image of the president and his wife was a photograph published by Cameroon Tribune, taken at the airport as they departed. Since then, there have been no recorded video appearances, recorded messages, or dated photographs, fueling numerous speculations and rumors, including claims of his death, according to the website.
The authorities maintain that the president continues to carry out his duties, but, as of yesterday, have provided no visual evidence to dispel the doubts surrounding his prolonged absence.
Reports of His Presence in Switzerland
Meanwhile, Jeune Afrique reported that Biya, who has led Cameroon since November 6, 1982, is staying in the Swiss city of Geneva, where he is reportedly receiving treatment at a private medical facility.
Cameroonian authorities, however, have denied the report. Communications Minister René Emmanuel Sadi said in June that the president had not been admitted to any hospital in Geneva, adding that he would “return soon.”
Decrees Issued in His Name as Vice-Presidential Post Remains Vacant
Despite his absence, the Cameroonian presidency has continued to publish decrees and official messages in Paul Biya’s name. The latest were four decrees issued on July 22.
The decrees included appointments to the board of directors of the National Hydrocarbons Corporation, as well as authorization for the economy minister to sign financing agreements.
The presidential website has also continued to publish messages of congratulations in his name to foreign leaders, including Emmanuel Macron on July 14.
The controversy has intensified amid the continued vacancy of the vice-presidential post, which was reinstated through a constitutional amendment adopted in April to ensure continuity of government in the event of the president’s death or incapacity to perform his duties.
More than three months after the constitutional amendment was adopted, Paul Biya has yet to appoint anyone to the position, raising questions about the mechanism for transferring power should the presidency suddenly become vacant.
Against this backdrop, opposition figures have called on the Constitutional Council to intervene and declare the presidency vacant.
They argue that the president’s prolonged absence has created an “institutional vacuum,” while the ruling party maintains that the president continues to perform his duties from abroad, pointing out that the Constitution does not set a maximum period for the head of state to remain outside the country.
A Precedent in 2024
The current situation recalls a similar episode in 2024, when Paul Biya was absent for 49 days. Rumors of his death circulated at the time before he eventually returned to the country.
The government subsequently barred the media from reporting on his health, considering the matter to be one of national security.
Paul Biya was re-elected on October 12 of last year with 53.66% of the vote, according to the Constitutional Council, and was sworn in on November 6 for an eighth seven-year term.
