Cameroon President Paul Biya Promotes Five Colonels to Generals from Geneva
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President Paul Biya, who has been abroad for nearly two months, issued a decree promoting five colonels to brigadier general and reappointed the head of the presidential guard, prompting debate over his extended absence.
President Paul Biya of Cameroon, aged 93, signed a decree from a hotel in Geneva promoting five colonels to the rank of brigadier general and reassigning senior army officials, including the reinstatement of Raymond Jean Charles Beko'o Abondo as head of the presidential guard. The changes were announced by the president's office and reported by the BBC.
Biya, who has not appeared publicly since early June, has been on a "brief private stay" abroad, a trip that Reuters estimates at 58 days. While he continues to issue decrees on matters such as foreign loans, he has not yet formed the new cabinet he pledged nor filled the vice-presidency created in April.
Government officials maintain that the president is in good health and fully in charge, with a spokesperson stating, "the president is alive." Opposition figures, including CRM party member Mamadou Mota, contend that the prolonged overseas stay creates a governance gap and describe the situation as "governed by remote control." The reshuffle follows a pattern of military leadership changes during politically sensitive periods, such as after the 2023 coup in Gabon and following Cameroon’s disputed 2023 election.
The decree was signed from abroad, and the move has sparked discussion online about the transparency and duration of Biya’s trip.