President Biya’s extended absence fuels calls for clarity on Cameroon’s leadership.

President Paul Biya departed on June 7 for what was described as a “short private stay in Europe.” However, more than 40 days have passed, and he has yet to return to Yaoundé. This extended period abroad has sparked renewed discussions about a potential power vacuum at the highest levels of the Cameroonian government.

During a press conference held on Thursday, July 23, Joshua Osih, the Member of Parliament and president of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), voiced strong concerns over the political situation, which he believes is plunging the nation into uncertainty. Osih declared, “A Head of State absent for over six weeks. A vice-presidency vacant. Cameroon on autopilot, and one does not rely on autopilot in a storm.“

Osih emphasized that his party, the SDF, was not merely highlighting the crisis but actively seeking solutions. “We have come with water to extinguish the fire,” he stated, urging a return to the foundational principles of the rule of law in Cameroon. This call echoes similar demands from various opposition leaders and civil society activists, including Jean-Michel Nintcheu, who previously requested the Constitutional Council to declare a power vacancy at Etoudi.

Conversely, the ruling party firmly dismisses any notion of a power vacuum. Jacques Fame Ndongo, a Minister of State and the national communication secretary for the Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC), categorically affirmed, “There is no power vacuum at the top of the state.”