World's oldest president reshuffles army as his absence stokes unease

What the report says

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has issued a new round of military appointments while he remains out of the country, adding to public concern over his prolonged absence. BBC Africa reports that the 93-year-old leader, who has not been seen publicly for nearly two months, signed the decrees from Geneva, where he has been staying since leaving Cameroon on 7 June for what his team called a brief private trip.

The changes included promotions of five colonels to brigadier general and the reappointment of Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo as head of the presidential guard, the unit charged with protecting Biya. The BBC notes that reshuffles in the armed forces are not unusual under Biya, especially during periods of scrutiny or uncertainty, but the timing has intensified debate in Cameroon and on social media.

His absence has also fuelled speculation about his health, although the government has repeatedly rejected claims that he is hospitalised. Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi told RFI that Biya is alive, still working from Geneva and expected back soon. Opposition figures, meanwhile, argue that the country is facing an institutional gap and say it cannot be governed indefinitely at a distance.

The report adds that Biya has continued to sign decrees while abroad, including measures related to government borrowing, even as questions remain over a promised new cabinet and an unfilled vice-presidency post. The BBC places the latest developments against a wider backdrop of long-rule politics in Cameroon and earlier military shake-ups after regional political shocks.