Cameroon’s leadership in question as President Paul Biya remains absent for over six weeks

The prolonged absence of President Paul Biya from Cameroon has reignited debates about the country’s leadership vacuum at the highest level. The president departed on June 7 for what was described as a short private stay in Europe, yet more than 40 days later, he has not returned to Yaoundé.

During a press conference on July 23, Joshua Osih, leader of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) and a member of parliament, criticized the political situation, calling it a period of uncertainty for the nation. “A Head of State absent for over six weeks. An empty vice-presidency. Cameroon operating on autopilot in turbulent times—this is not sustainable,” Osih declared.

The opposition leader emphasized that his party did not come to fan the flames of crisis but to extinguish them. “We’ve arrived with water to douse the fire,” he stated. Osih called for a return to the core principles of the rule of law in Cameroon, aligning with demands from other opposition figures and civil society leaders. Notably, Jean-Michel Nintcheu has urged the Constitutional Council to declare a power vacuum in Etoudi.

Ruling party dismisses claims of leadership vacuum

The ruling party has firmly rejected any notion of a power vacuum. “There is no leadership vacuum at the top of the state,” asserted Jacques Fame Ndongo, Cameroon’s Minister of State and National Communication Secretary for the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).