President Paul Biya’s two-month absence from Cameroon, occurring just eight months into his eighth consecutive term, marks an unprecedented situation that continues to fuel questions and concerns across the nation.

Despite the unusual duration, Benoit Ndong Soumeth, a minister attached to the Presidency, asserts that the president’s extended stay abroad adheres to legal frameworks. He stated, “A population may, out of affection, feel the need to know what is happening with its leader. The Minister Director of the Civil Cabinet has affirmed that all is well. His response is the most valid to reassure everyone. There is no issue. We are not facing an exceptional or urgent situation.”

However, this official reassurance fails to satisfy Roger Justin Noah, the Deputy Secretary General and interim National Communication Secretary for Maurice Kamto’s opposition party, the MRC. Noah views the lack of transparency regarding President Biya’s European sojourn as a profound disrespect towards the Cameroonian populace.

The right to information on the president’s health

Noah questioned, “Why manipulate the electoral process only to spend weeks and weeks outside our country? If he is experiencing health problems, the Cameroonian people have a right to be informed; there is no justification for maintaining ambiguity around the health status of the President of the Republic.”

Conversely, Cabral Libii, who secured third place in the October presidential election, dismisses the ongoing controversy as unproductive. For him, the critical period lies in the first quarter of 2027. “I am among those who believe there is no significant difference between his stay abroad and his stay in Cameroon. However one looks at it, from a legal standpoint, there is currently a legal vacuum in Cameroon, and I urge everyone, as we approach legislative and municipal elections, to vote massively against this regime,” the opposition figure declared.

The PCRN Member of Parliament expresses optimism for a potential shift in the parliamentary majority, which could then facilitate amendments to the existing legal framework governing presidential overseas travel.