Cameroon President Paul Biya, 93, returns to the country on Thursday after a 73-day absence abroad. AFP journalists and multiple outlets report that he lands in Yaoundé after being away for more than two months, renewing public attention on his health and future in office.
Biya has been in Switzerland, with reporting placing him in Geneva since early June. His office describes his time away as a “short private stay,” while local and international coverage notes that the length of the absence fuels speculation and debate. The New York Times and others frame the return in the context of succession planning after decades in power.
France 24 reports that opposition figures criticize the extended absence, including claims that he left on “autopilot.” Other outlets likewise highlight the political controversy, contrasting Biya’s stated private purpose with the country’s concerns about his ability to govern and what comes next.
