By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Cameroon’s long-term leader, Paul Biya has reshuffled the country’s military amid growing concerns over his prolonged stay abroad.
The 93-year-old President, who has not been seen in public for nearly two months appointed officials to key positions within the army and promoted five colonels to the rank of brigadier general.
One of the newly promoted brigadier generals is Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo, who was immediately reappointed as commander of the elite presidential guard, responsible for protecting Biya, an office he has held since 2013.
Biya made the appointments in separate decrees on Monday from the Swiss city of Geneva, where he has been staying since leaving Cameroon on 7 June for what his team described as a “brief private stay”.
This is not the first time such key changes were effected in the ranks of the military under Biya. Following an unexpected coup three years ago in neighbouring Gabon, which toppled the Bongo dynasty, sending shockwaves across the continent, Cameroon immediately reshuffled its military leadership.
While running for a controversial eighth term in power at last year’s presidential election, Biya again reshuffled the top brass of the army.
Also in June this year, he promoted several members of the defence and security forces to higher ranks.
The circumstances under which the latest changes were made have sparked debate, especially among social media users.
Many in Cameroon have criticised the lack of information about his activities and the uncertainty surrounding the duration of his foreign trip.
After last year’s election, he promised to name a new cabinet, but is yet to do so. A new post of vice-president that was created this April remains vacant.
During his nearly 60-day period abroad so far, he has signed several other decrees, including some authorising his government to sign loan agreements with international financial institutions.
His absence sparked further speculation about his health, but the government has continually debunked reports that the head of state has been in hospital.
Cameroon’s Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi has said the president is alive and will be returning to the country soon, during an interview with French-language broadcaster RFI.
During a similar prolonged stay outside the country in 2024, authorities placed a ban on public discussions around the President’s health.
