The President of Cameroon Paul Biya after a prolonged absence which lasted for two months in Switzerland his longest recorded stay outside the country since taking power four decades ago has returned to the country.
Penpushing reports that the 93-year-old President who has been in power four decades ago arrived at the international airport in, Yaoundé, the capital on Thursday aboard a flight from Geneva, Switzerland.
The world’s oldest president it would be recalled left the country on June 7, 2026, a trip his office had described as a brief private stay in Europe, but he did not return until after 10 weeks, while his prolonged absence intensified concerns about his health and the possibility of a power vacuum in the Central African nation.
Penpushing further reports that speculation over Biya’s health has grown as he spends more time in Europe, and this includes France and Switzerland, where he often spends weeks, leaving governance to key party officials and family members.
The opposition leaders have described the country as running on “autopilot” in Biya’s absence, and similar vein, a prominent opposition figure Issa Bakary, said Cameroonians widely believe that “all is not well” with the President.
Penpushing also reports that Bakary declared that Biya’s very long stay in Switzerland only aggravates that lack of legitimacy and his desperate attempts to hold on to power by force
The return of Biya was not announced, however, some government officials and supporters gathered at the airport to welcome him, just as sources said he was seen waving at supporters from his car.
Penpushing reports that Biya who has led Cameroon since 1982, began his eighth term in office in November after winning a widely disputed presidential election, and it would be recalled that the October election triggered protests after Bakary, the main opposition candidate, rejected the official result and claimed victory.
The protest led to the death of more than 16 people; however, Cameroon has no term limits, and it would be recalled that 2008, the country’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment removing the previous two-term limit, making the president eligible for continuous re-election.
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