In a fresh political editorial aired on Radio Tiémeni Siantou (90.5 FM in Yaoundé and Bafang) this Monday, commentator Eric Boniface Tchouakeu questions the prolonged private stay of Cameroon’s Head of State in Europe.

The President of the Republic, Paul Biya, left Cameroon on June 7, 2026, officially for a “short private stay” in Europe, according to a statement released by his Cabinet Director, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo.

Multiple reports from the pan-African outlet Jeune Afrique have since confirmed that the Cameroonian Head of State is indeed in Geneva, Switzerland, where he has maintained a residence since first assuming office on November 6, 1982.

Initially described as a “short stay,” the prolonged absence has sparked widespread speculation, particularly regarding the 93-year-old leader’s health. Despite repeated reassurances from authorities, rumors persist, with some even suggesting the possibility of a power vacuum in Cameroon.

It is important to clarify that, contrary to common misconceptions, the absence of the President from Cameroonian soil does not automatically constitute a power vacuum. The constitution does not impose any time limit on the Head of State’s international travel. A power vacuum in Cameroon can only be declared under three strictly defined circumstances: death, resignation, or definitive impediment of the sitting President.

However, neither the constitution nor any other legal text provides a precise definition of what constitutes a “definitive impediment,” leaving this critical term open to interpretation.

Therefore, concerns about a potential power vacuum cannot be justified solely by the President’s extended stay abroad. Legally, the Head of State could even govern remotely from abroad throughout his term without violating any constitutional provisions.

The real issue at hand is not one of legality but of political ethics and governance transparency.

The prolonged delay in forming a new government following the October 12, 2025 presidential election, coupled with the swift reintroduction of the Vice-President position—a reform implemented with unusual haste—may explain why some observers are meticulously tracking the number of days Paul Biya has spent outside Cameroon since June 7, 2026.

Over more than four decades in uninterrupted power, the President has never signed or issued a major decree from abroad.