Cameroon gripped by power grab fears as 93-year-old Biya’s absence hits 48 days

Fears of a power grab have gripped Cameroon as President Paul Biya’s absence in Switzerland stretches to 48 days, with opposition figures warning of an institutional vacuum even as the government insists he remains in control.

Fears of a power grab have gripped Cameroon as President Paul Biya’s absence stretches into a 48th day, deepening uncertainty over his succession amid reported infighting within his inner circle.

PM News reports that Biya, 93, left Cameroon on June 7 with his wife, Chantal, for what officials described as a “short, private stay in Europe.” He has remained in Switzerland since then.

The prolonged absence of the world’s oldest head of state, who has ruled Cameroon for more than 40 years, has renewed speculation about his health and raised concerns over government inaction.

Mamadou Mota, vice-president of the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement, said Biya’s absence had created a “glaring institutional vacuum.”

The opposition Social Democratic Front also declared on Friday that Cameroon was “on autopilot,” as uncertainty continued over when the president would return.

The government has rejected claims that the country is facing a power vacuum. Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo, a senior official of the ruling party, said Biya remained in control and was closely following official matters from wherever he was.

“Wherever he is, the head of state is meticulously following the files submitted to him by his aides,” Ndongo said.

Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi had earlier issued a statement on June 18 denying reports that Biya had been admitted to a clinic in Geneva.

This is not the first time the president’s prolonged absence has sparked concerns.