Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has increasingly become a notable absentee from public events, both domestically and internationally, leading to speculation about his health and whereabouts.
Local reports indicate that Biya left Cameroon in early July for an official mission abroad. He had initially planned a series of diplomatic engagements, starting with a visit to France in July and continuing with a trip to China in August. Although he was expected to attend the UN General Assembly in New York in late September, he canceled that trip, opting instead for a period of rest in Switzerland, where he has been since early September.
Biya also withdrew from the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) summit held in France on October 4 and 5, despite having confirmed his participation just before the event. In his absence, he was represented by his foreign minister, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, who attended alongside Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Sources close to the presidency attribute Biya’s cancellation to health concerns. Following his participation in the Olympic Games opening in Paris and the Sino-African Forum in Beijing, he exhibited signs of fatigue, leading his doctors to recommend a slower pace. No official communication has clarified his diplomatic engagements, allowing rumors to flourish.
Biya was expected to return to Cameroon in mid-September after his stay in China. Preparations for his arrival were made but were subsequently retracted when his medical team advised him to remain in Switzerland for ongoing medical care and rest. He has since been under the supervision of his doctors at the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva.
Contrary to social media speculation, Biya did not travel to Paris for the OIF summit, although his aircraft, a Boeing 767 leased from Comlux, did fly from Geneva to Le Bourget near Paris on September 24. Details about passengers on that flight remain undisclosed, as does information about its departure from Le Bourget in early October.
Biya is under the watch of the Presidential Security Directorate (DSP), which manages the privacy of his stay in Switzerland. He is accompanied by close family members, including First Lady Chantal Biya, his children Franck and Brenda, and his stepson Franck Hertz. Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, director of the civil cabinet, is also present, collaborating with Chantal Biya to streamline the president’s agenda in accordance with medical advice.
Reports suggest that multiple meetings scheduled with the president in Geneva have recently been canceled. While there is no legal limit on the length of a presidential absence abroad, public sentiment typically views a duration of around 40 days as acceptable.
Throughout his 42-year presidency, Biya has occasionally remained abroad long enough for rumors of his death to emerge, only to resurface unexpectedly.
Amid these health concerns, political leaders continue to urge the 91-year-old president to run for a new term in the 2025 presidential election, despite the persistent questions surrounding his fitness for office. As with past elections in Cameroon, the tradition of calls for Biya’s candidacy endures, even as worries about his health grow.