Biya reshuffles Cameroon’s military leadership after 58-day absence

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has reshuffled the country’s senior military leadership, promoted the head of the Presidential Guard and replaced commanders in four of the country’s five joint military regions.

The changes were announced in three presidential decrees signed on Monday and broadcast on state radio.

The head of the Presidential Guard was promoted from colonel to brigadier general, while a new commander was appointed for the Rapid Intervention Brigade. Several colonels were also elevated to the rank of brigadier general, alongside changes in the military’s motorised infantry brigades.

Biya, 93, has remained out of public view for 58 days after leaving Cameroon on 7 June for what the civil cabinet described as a brief private stay in Europe.

The president has not returned to the country, prompting renewed concerns and speculation about his health, whereabouts and ability to govern.

Government spokesman René Emmanuel Sadi said on Sunday that Biya was alive and would return soon.

Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and has frequently spent extended periods abroad. However, his latest absence is among his longest and has drawn growing public attention.