Paul Biya returns to Cameroon after 73-day absence

Cameroon's President Paul Biya returned to the country on Thursday after 73 days abroad, an unusually long absence that had fuelled speculation about the 93-year-old leader's health and questions over who was running the country.

Biya, the world's oldest serving head of state and Cameroon's leader since 1982, landed in Yaounde at around 1600 GMT from Geneva. His office had described his stay there since June 7 as “a short private stay”.

He left the airport alongside first lady Chantal Biya and waved from a car on its way to the presidential palace. Dozens of ruling party supporters gathered to welcome him, some wearing clothes bearing his image.

Biya's health has long been the subject of rumours, often linked to his frequent stays in Geneva. Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi denied reports on June 18 that Biya had been hospitalised at a Geneva clinic.

His absence drew criticism from the opposition, which condemned what it called an “institutional vacuum” and said the country was on “autopilot” while the appointment of a new government and vice-president has been pending for months.

James Fame Ndongo, a senior ruling party figure and higher education minister, dismissed claims of a power vacuum last month, saying Biya continued to oversee state affairs.

Univers opposition party leader Prosper Nkou Mvondo told AFP he saw no reason to take part in what he called a spectacle, saying it made no difference whether Biya returned or stayed away.

Biya's re-election to an eighth term in October 2025 triggered protests that were suppressed. The authorities acknowledged several dozen deaths but did not give a definitive toll.

His long stay abroad has also fuelled talk of a post-Biya future. Without a vice-president, Senate President Aboubakary Abdoulaye is next in line to lead in the event of a power vacuum until a presidential election can be organised.