President Paul Biya finally returned to Cameroon on Thursday, August 20th, concluding a brief visit to Switzerland that extended for an unexpected 74 days. Citizens eagerly anticipating his arrival were met with a fleeting glimpse of his hand, visible through the partially lowered window of the presidential limousine.

Cameroonians had hoped to see their veteran leader descend the gangway, shaking hands with the Etoudi Palace elite, as is customary. Instead, they were shown a single hand. In the realm of politics, such an act is far from insignificant. The hand, in a political context, carries four distinct symbolic meanings: the hand that kills, the hand that cheats, the hand that blesses, and the hand that governs.

Degree 1: the hand that kills

In ancient Rome, the coliseum crowd fell silent, their gaze fixed solely on Caesar’s hand. A raised thumb meant life for the gladiatorial combatant; a lowered thumb signaled death. On Thursday, August 20th, in Yaoundé, the dynamic was reversed. It was no longer the Emperor’s hand dictating the gladiator’s fate. Rather, it was the gladiator’s hand that needed to affirm his continued existence to the nation. Cameroonians witnessed President Biya’s hand offering a salute, a gesture confirming his living return.

Degree 2: the hand that cheats

When physical prowess wanes, deception often takes over through the hand. In 1986, Argentine football legend Diego Maradona famously scored against England with his hand, dubbing it the ‘Hand of God.’ Everyone observed the foul, yet the referee allowed the goal. Similarly, on Thursday, everyone saw only a hand. However, CRTV, Cameroon’s national television, with its reported 200 personnel covering the motorcade, validated this minimal appearance as a miraculous event.

Degree 3: the hand that blesses

Within liturgical traditions, power emanates from the hand. A priest lays on hands, the Pope bestows his Urbi et Orbi blessing, and a monarch is consecrated through anointing. Once consecrated, the hand becomes a sacred relic. Thursday presented an inverted liturgy. A relic-like hand emerged from behind tinted glass, akin to a reliquary paraded on religious holidays, intended to bolster the faith of the populace.

Degree 4: the hand that governs

This brings us to the ultimate symbolic tier: the hand that governs. For 74 days, during his extended stay in Switzerland, we were assured that the state continued to function. Why? Because the hand was signing. Decrees, appointments, laws — the hand was active, even in the physical absence of the body. This is the oldest legal definition of power: the manus, the hand. In Latin, manus signifies power itself. There are no more speeches, no full bodily presence, no walk across the tarmac. Only the signature and the salute remain. The hand that signs and the hand that greets.

In Rome, the hand determined the fate of others. In the church, it conferred blessings. In Yaoundé, it primarily signifies that the individual wielding it remains in power. After forty-three years of leadership, Cameroonians must now adjust, for an indeterminate period likely to be shorter than longer, to being governed by a hand. Cameroonian journalist Marie Roger Biloa offers a more direct assessment: “Cameroon,” she states, “must prepare to confront the definitive disappearance of a president who is already de facto absent.”