Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, has carried out a fresh reshuffle of the country’s military leadership while remaining outside the country for nearly two months, fuelling renewed public debate over his prolonged absence.
The 93-year-old leader approved appointments to several key military positions and promoted five colonels to the rank of brigadier general. Among those promoted was Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo, who was immediately reappointed as commander of the elite Presidential Guard, the unit responsible for the president’s security.
Abondo has held the position since 2013. Military reshuffles have become a familiar feature of Biya’s administration, particularly during periods of heightened political attention or speculation over the stability of his government. Following the 2023 military coup in neighbouring Gabon, which ended the decades-long Bongo family’s rule, Cameroon also reorganised parts of its military leadership.
Similar changes were made during Biya’s campaign for a controversial eighth presidential term and again in June this year, when several defence and security officers received promotions. The latest appointments have attracted particular attention because they were signed while Biya remains in Geneva, Switzerland, where he has stayed since leaving Cameroon on June 7 for what officials initially described as a brief private visit.
His extended absence has sparked growing concerns among Cameroonians, many of whom have criticised the limited information provided about his whereabouts and the uncertainty surrounding his return.
Despite remaining abroad, the president has continued to sign official decrees, including approvals for government loan agreements with international financial institutions. His prolonged stay has also intensified speculation about his health, although the government has repeatedly denied reports suggesting he has been hospitalised.
Government spokesperson and Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi recently insisted that the president remains alive, continues to carry out his official duties from Geneva and is expected to return to Cameroon soon. Sadi also rejected opposition claims that the president’s absence has created a leadership vacuum, arguing that Biya remains fully in charge of state affairs despite being outside the country.
However, opposition figures disagree. Mamadou Mota, vice-president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), argued that governing the country from abroad has created what he described as an institutional vacuum.
He maintained that executive authority should be exercised from within Cameroon rather than remotely from overseas. Questions have also been raised over delays in forming a new government following last year’s presidential election. Although Biya promised to appoint a new cabinet, no announcement has been made.
In addition, the newly created position of vice-president, established in April, remains vacant. The continued uncertainty surrounding the president’s absence has intensified political debate in Cameroon as observers closely watch for signs of his return and any further changes within the country’s leadership.
