President Paul Biya received a warm welcome from top government officials and supporters as he returned to Cameroon last week following his prolonged absence, easing concerns over his health.
The long-time leader and First Lady Chantal Biya were greeted by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute and other senior government officials.
Biya also waved to supporters of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, who lined the streets of the capital holding his portraits and waving banners praising the veteran leader, DW Africa reported.
The warm reception came as the 93-year-old leader landed at Yaounde’s Nsimalen International Airport aboard a chartered flight from Geneva, Switzerland, after more than 10 weeks away.
He left the country on June 7 for what authorities described as a brief private vacation to Europe, marking one of his longest absences from Cameroon.
‘Culture of Silence’
Despite the warm welcome from officials and supporters, opposition lawmakers said that Biya’s return failed to address their long-standing concerns and instead highlighted what they called a “culture of silence.”
Asong Khumbah, an opposition lawmaker, said Biya’s prolonged absence exposed his increasingly detached style of governance.
“President Biya has had a style of governance, which is actually, I would call it the culture of silence, where he does not communicate with the people, where he is very distant from the people,” he told the News Central.
Meanwhile, Prosper Nkou Mvondo, leader of the opposition Univers party, believed Biya’s presence in the Central African nation would not make a significant difference.
“It makes no difference whether he returns or stays away. When he is here, he does nothing. I see no reason to take part in this spectacle,” he said, as quoted by Daily Sabah.
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Opposition calls for action
The opposition urged Biya to take immediate action to tackle key economic issues, appoint a vice president and provide clarity on long-overdue elections.
Parliamentary aspirant Prince Lesley Nformi emphasised that the public is already frustrated over repeated delays to local and legislative elections, alongside economic pressures.
“Since he was elected, we have not had any cabinet reshuffle. I think that there is a lot that he has to do right now and a lot of Cameroonians are expecting that the twin elections, municipal and legislative, have been postponed severally,” he said, as quoted by Channel Africa.
“This is the seventh year, meanwhile the mandate ends after five years, so he has to do something so that this date of February should not be postponed again,” he added.
Health concerns, power vacuum rumours persist
The appeal came as concerns over Biya’s overall wellbeing and ability to lead the nation continued to persist, even though the government insisted that he remains healthy.
Earlier, Communications Minister and government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi assured the public that Biya was healthy following reports that he was ill and hospitalised at a Geneva clinic, RFI reported.
Biya’s health has long been a topic of speculation as he spends weeks in Europe, raising questions about governance during his frequent absences.
His frequent absence has also sparked power vacuum rumours over the years, as he left Cameroon on what critics described as “autopilot” after opting not to appoint a vice president who would assume leadership during his absence.
Nevertheless, Higher Education Minister James Fame Ndongo rejected such speculation and insisted that Biya continued to oversee state affairs even while he was overseas.
Debate over succession intensifies
Biya’s return also came amid renewed debate over presidential succession after parliament passed a constitutional amendment restoring the office of the vice president.
Under the amendment, the president has the authority to appoint and dismiss the vice president, while allowing the vice president to complete the president’s seven-year term in the event of his death, resignation or permanent incapacity.
The opposition criticised the changes, arguing that they could raise questions about democratic legitimacy in the long run.
The development also highlights the need to address growing concerns over presidential accountability and succession, even though Biya’s return has eased some concerns surrounding his health and whereabouts.
Biya secured an unprecedented eighth presidential term in the October 2025 election and has led Cameroon since November 1982, making him one of the world’s oldest serving heads of state.
However, his more than four decades in power have been marked by allegations of human rights abuses and political repression.
Rosemarie Zamora 
Ciara Mina 
Jacinth Banite