Paul Biya back in Cameroon after 74 days away.
After 74 days spent outside Cameroon, President Paul Biya is back in Yaoundé. Arriving from Geneva, Switzerland, the Cameroonian head of state returned to the capital this Thursday late in the afternoon, while his absence had raised many questions about his health.
The Cameroonian president Paul Biya is back in the country. The 93-year-old head of state landed this Thursday, August 20, late in the afternoon in Yaoundé, after a flight from Geneva, Switzerland.
This return comes after 74 days spent outside Cameroon. During this time, there had been no public appearances or statements from the president, fueling speculations about his health.
No official announcement from the presidency had been made to confirm his arrival. However, militants of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC), the ruling party, had been mobilized to prepare for his welcome.
Upon his exit from Yaoundé airport, Paul Biya greeted the crowd from his vehicle, waving from the slightly open window. The national television, CRTV, also broadcast the progress of his convoy heading to the presidential palace.
Reelected in 2025 for an eighth term, Paul Biya, in power since 1982, had undertaken this long stay abroad amid questions about his health. His return to Yaoundé thus ends 74 days of absence and comes at a particularly watched moment in Cameroonian political life.
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