President Paul Biya has carried out a major shake-up of Cameroon’s military leadership, even as questions grow over his prolonged absence from public view.
According to three presidential decrees signed Monday and broadcast on national radio, Biya promoted the head of the Presidential Guard from colonel to brigadier general. He also replaced the commanders in four of Cameroon’s five joint military regions.
Other changes included a new leader for the Rapid Intervention Brigade, the promotion of Major General Ebaka Hippolyte to the Armed Forces General Staff, several colonels elevated to brigadier general, and adjustments to motorised infantry brigades.
Biya, 93, is the world’s oldest serving head of state. He has not been seen in public for 58 days. He left Cameroon on June 7 for what his civil cabinet called “a brief private stay in Europe” and has not returned.
The government has pushed back on speculation. Spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment, but told French broadcaster RFI on Sunday that “the president is alive” and will return soon.
The absence has stirred unease at home. Last month, the ruling party held a rare meeting of senior leaders amid mounting criticism about Biya’s whereabouts.
Biya has led the oil and cocoa producing nation since 1982 and regularly spends time abroad. But at 93, his age has intensified debate about his health and capacity to govern. This trip is one of the longest he has taken while in office.
