In his Monday political editorial aired on Radio Tiémeni Siantou (90.5 FM in Yaoundé and Bafang), commentator Eric Boniface Tchouakeu questions the implications of the Cameroonian head of state’s extended private visit to Europe.
President Paul Biya left Cameroon on June 7, 2026, for what authorities described as a short private stay in Europe, according to a statement from his Cabinet Director, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo.
The panafrican publication Jeune Afrique, through multiple reports on this trip, confirmed that the Cameroonian President has been in Geneva, Switzerland—where he regularly stays since assuming office on November 6, 1982.
Initially presented as a brief visit, the prolonged duration has sparked intense public debate. Questions about the 93-year-old president’s health persist despite reassurances from officials. Some observers even suggest the possibility of a power vacuum in Cameroon.
Legally, however, Cameroon’s constitution does not recognize a power vacuum based solely on the president’s absence from the country. The fundamental law only defines vacancy in three specific cases: death, resignation, or permanent incapacity of the sitting president.
Notably, the constitution provides no clear definition of permanent incapacity, leaving room for interpretation.
Thus, a prolonged overseas stay by the head of state does not, in itself, constitute grounds for declaring a power vacuum.
The prolonged delay in forming a new government after the October 12, 2025 presidential election—and the swift reintroduction of the vice-presidential position, which some viewed as rushed—may explain why some citizens are now meticulously tracking the number of days President Biya has spent abroad since June 7, 2026.
Over his 43-year uninterrupted rule, the president has never issued or authorized major decrees from outside Cameroon.