Cameroon: President Paul Biya criticised for weeks-long trip to Geneva

Cameroon's president Paul Biya has been in Switzerland for several weeks now. According to an official statement, he left on 7th June for a ‘short, private stay’ with his wife.

He’s made a series of trips to Geneva over the years. At the age of 93, Biya is the world’s oldest head of state, and has been in power for more than 40 years.

His health has been the subject of speculation, with the Cameroonian government insisting that Biya is well. Responding to news articles in June, Cameroon’s communication minister denied that the president had been hospitalised in Geneva.

Opposition figure Mamadou Mota meanwhile has described Biya’s absence as a ‘glaring institutional vacuum’.

The president of the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC), Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, has urged the government to set up "an impartial procedure for determining the temporary or permanent incapacity" of the head of state.

It’s not the first time such accusations have been made. In late 2024, Biya faced criticism for his 50-day absence from the country.