Cameroon’s 93-year-old president, Paul Biya, has once again reshuffled his military leadership from thousands of miles away, marking nearly two months of public absence that has left the nation in a state of uncertainty.
While his administration insists he is merely on a private stay in Geneva, the move to appoint new army officials and promote five colonels—including the reappointment of the elite presidential guard commander—highlights a regime desperate to maintain control amidst growing questions about its longevity.
This is not the first time Biya has used military reassignments to project strength during times of scrutiny; similar maneuvers followed regional instability in neighboring Gabon and during his own controversial re-election efforts.
Despite the government’s attempts to dismiss rumors about the president's health, the reality on the ground is a glaring institutional vacuum.
With a promised cabinet reshuffle left unfulfilled and a newly created vice-presidency sitting vacant, the opposition is rightly calling out the absurdity of a head of state attempting to govern via decree from a foreign hotel suite.
As the government continues to muzzle the press regarding the president's condition, the people of Cameroon are left to wonder who is truly at the helm of their nation.
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