Cameroon’s Elderly President Returns Home After Extended Overseas Stay

After spending two and a half months abroad, President Paul Biya arrived back in Cameroon on Thursday, state media announced, amid growing concerns about his health and the future of leadership.

Since taking office in 1982, Mr. Biya has become known for frequent trips overseas, during which his hotel expenses have reportedly reached into the millions of dollars, according to some estimates.

Cameroonian authorities prohibited public discussion of the longtime ruler’s health in 2024 as speculation about his absences intensified. During his most recent stay in Switzerland, the president released official statements but did not appear on video or explain the nature of what his office described as “a brief private visit.”

On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Biya’s aircraft touched down in Yaoundé, the capital, as reported by the state broadcaster Cameroon Radio Television. Short, unverified footage showed him shaking hands with officials before entering a vehicle.

The state broadcaster aired scenes of large crowds gathered outside the airport, many singing and dancing while wearing apparel emblazoned with the images of Mr. Biya and his wife, Chantal, who also holds considerable public influence.

While the president was away, Cameroon continued to face armed conflict and political instability. A separatist insurgency in the English‑speaking regions entered its tenth year, and extremist groups linked to the Islamic State launched attacks in the far north earlier this year, aiming to expand their presence.

Additionally, a deadly landslide at a mine in the neighboring Central African Republic on Tuesday claimed the lives of about 100 people, including several Cameroonian miners.

Some Cameroonian analysts and journalists have characterized the president’s latest trip as one of his longest and most troubling. Christopher Fomunyoh, regional director for Central and West Africa Programs at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in Washington, remarked that this absence “undermined the perception of him as a genuine leader rooted in his people and his country.”

Rumors have circulated in Yaoundé about behind‑the‑scenes succession struggles involving the president’s family and close advisers. Analysts noted that potential contenders could include his son Franck Biya and his stepson Franck Hertz, the son of First Lady Chantal Biya. Manu Lekunze, a lecturer in international relations at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, added that internal party tensions are likely to surface once Mr. Biya’s tenure ends.

In April, Cameroon’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment reinstating the office of vice president, a position that would assume power if the president dies, resigns, or becomes unable to serve. However, Mr. Biya has declined to name a candidate, leading some experts to suggest he wishes to avoid creating a clear succession path that could facilitate his removal.

“The reason he hasn’t appointed a vice president is that he knows establishing a clear succession route would make it easier for opponents to sideline him,” Mr. Lekunze said.

Mr. Biya extended his rule through a contested presidential election in 2025, after which the government responded to opposition protests with mass arrests and lethal force, according to Human Rights Watch.

Mr. Biya ranks among Africa’s aging, long‑serving leaders. Excluding monarchs, four of the five longest‑current heads of state on the continent are African. He is the oldest sitting president and holds the second‑longest tenure, surpassed only by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.

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