The world's oldest president traveled abroad two months ago and disappeared: "The country is on autopilot"
Paul Biya has ruled Cameroon since 1982. At 93, amid corruption allegations, he won an eighth consecutive term, only to fly to Switzerland for a "short stay" and fail to return. The opposition demands answers, claiming the country is being run by a shadow elite while the leader clings to power.
Cameroon's President Paul Biya marked two months last Thursday since he was last within his country's borders. This prolonged absence of the 93-year-old leader, who has governed since 1982, has raised concerns about his health and sparked criticism regarding a power vacuum in the Central African nation.
Biya began his eighth consecutive term in November following a controversial election marred by allegations of corruption. On June 7, he left for what his office described as a "short private stay in Europe," but the trip has turned into one of his longest absences. The government later confirmed he is staying in Switzerland without providing further details.
While the constitution does not explicitly forbid the president from leaving the country for months, the lack of a vice president means that leadership has effectively fallen to senior party members and family. The opposition describes the country as being on "autopilot." Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, speaking from exile, stated: "His long stay in Switzerland only worsens the lack of legitimacy and his desperate attempts to cling to power by force."
Biya came to power 44 years ago. Following a 2008 constitutional amendment that abolished term limits, he has ruled longer than most of his citizens have been alive; over 70% of the population of nearly 30 million is under 35. If he completes his current term, he will leave office at age 99.
His legacy is mixed. Despite being oil-rich, the country has seen little growth, with youth complaining that only the elite benefit from oil profits. World Bank data indicates that 57% of the workforce aged 18 to 35 is employed in the black market.
Critics also blame Biya for leading the country from relative stability into years of crisis, including terrorist attacks by Boko Haram in the north and a separatist rebellion in the west that has claimed 7,000 lives. Last week, Biya reportedly reshuffled the top military command, replacing commanders in four of the five military districts, though no official reason was provided.
