Cameroon: Cameroon's Biya Reshuffles Military During 2-Month Absence

What the report says

Cameroon President Paul Biya has reshuffled the military leadership while he remains abroad, according to a report carried by Daba Finance and distributed by AllAfrica. The changes were announced on state radio after three decrees signed on Aug. 3 and affected commanders in four of the country’s five joint military regions, along with several other senior posts. Biya, 93, left Cameroon on June 7 for what his office described as a private stay in Europe and had not returned when the appointments were made public.

Among the most notable moves, the head of the Presidential Guard, Colonel Beko'o Abongo Raymond Jean Charles, was promoted to brigadier general and kept in the role. Brigadier General Mezui Zo'o Elie Romance was named to lead the Rapid Intervention Brigade, a key unit in counter-insurgency and security operations. The report also said Major General Ebaka Hippolyte was appointed deputy chief of defence staff, while other officers were elevated or reassigned across infantry brigades, military schools and regional commands.

The reshuffle comes amid continued questions about governance during Biya’s absence. His ruling party held a meeting of senior officials in July as criticism mounted over the length of his trip. Government spokesman René Emmanuel Sadi has said the president is alive, will return, and has not resigned. Biya has ruled Cameroon since 1982, and the report notes that while he has traveled abroad before, this is among his longest absences.