On June 7, 2026, President Paul Biya left Yaoundé with his wife for what the Presidency described as a “brief private stay in Europe.” Sixty-five days later, on August 11, he remains outside Cameroon.

The number matters. But the deeper issue is not the length of one presidential trip. It is what such a prolonged absence says about the resilience of the Cameroonian state.

A modern republic cannot depend on the physical presence of one individual to maintain political certainty. Nor can a country of nearly 30 million people be expected to operate indefinitely on assumptions, rumours and official assurances that everything is under control. The question before Cameroon is therefore no longer simply: When will Paul Biya return? It is: How long can the country continue without a credible transition plan?

President Biya has governed Cameroon since 1982. His political longevity is extraordinary, but longevity cannot itself be a substitute for succession. At 93, and after decades in power, the question of what comes after Biya should no longer be treated as an act of disloyalty. It is an unavoidable matter of national responsibility. The ruling CPDM party above all, should understand this.

The CPDM party has spent decades presenting itself as the guarantor of stability. But genuine stability is not the indefinite preservation of one political personality. Genuine stability is the ability of institutions to function, markets to have confidence, citizens to know who is responsible for decisions and the country to move from one generation of leadership to another without uncertainty or crisis. That is precisely why the CPDM should begin the process of ushering in a new leader.

This is not necessarily a call for the party to abandon its political identity or erase the legacy of Paul Biya. It is a call for the party to recognize that Cameroon is bigger than one man and the CPDM must be bigger than one presidency.

The economic cost of prolonged uncertainty is easy to underestimate. Investors do not only look at macroeconomic statistics; they look at predictability. Businesses need to know who is making decisions, whether policy will remain consistent and whether political succession can occur peacefully. Government itself needs clear authority. Public institutions need confidence. Citizens need to believe that the machinery of the state is working deliberately rather than simply continuing on autopilot. That perception matters.

Reuters has reported that Biya’s prolonged absence has already generated political concern, while his government has provided no clear timetable for his return. The CPDM itself held a senior-level meeting in July as criticism surrounding the absence mounted. Military leadership changes announced during the absence have added another layer of uncertainty.

None of this means that the Cameroonian state has collapsed. It means something more subtle and potentially more dangerous: the country is being forced to confront how dependent its political system remains on a single individual. That is an institutional weakness, not a personal accusation. The CPDM has an opportunity to correct it.

Instead of treating every discussion of succession as an attack on the President, the party should treat succession planning as an essential component of responsible governance. It should openly identify, debate and prepare a new generation of leadership capable of governing Cameroon in the decades ahead.

The alternative is to wait until circumstances make the decision for everyone. That would be irresponsible.

Cameroon has a young population, enormous economic potential and serious security and development challenges. It cannot afford a political system in which the most important question facing the nation is whether its president will return from a private European stay whose duration was never publicly defined.

Nor should the answer be to manufacture rumours about the President’s health. Those rumours are neither a substitute for facts nor a foundation for responsible politics. The stronger argument is simpler: even a healthy president eventually leaves office and a serious political party prepares for that day before it arrives. The CPDM has had more than enough time to prepare. It now has a choice.

It can continue defending the permanence of one man and hope that the system survives every new test. Or it can demonstrate that the party understands the difference between loyalty to a leader and loyalty to a nation. The latter requires courage.

The CPDM should begin an orderly, constitutional and transparent process of political renewal. It should identify credible new leadership, establish a clear succession framework, strengthen the institutions that must outlive President Biya, and give Cameroonians confidence that the country’s future does not depend on the whereabouts of one individual.

Paul Biya’s historic contribution to Cameroon can be debated by history. But the future of Cameroon cannot be postponed until history is ready to write his final chapter.

The time has come for the CPDM to usher in a new leader—not because Cameroon has ceased to need stability, but because Cameroon now needs stability that does not depend on one man.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

For weeks, the people of Cameroon have been left to grapple with one question that should never have become a national mystery: Where is President Paul Biya?

The prolonged absence of the world’s oldest serving head of state has fueled intense speculation both within Cameroon and across the international community. In any democracy, prolonged uncertainty surrounding the condition and whereabouts of a sitting head of state would demand prompt, factual and transparent communication from the authorities. Instead, Cameroonians have been met with silence, secrecy and a climate in which even discussing the president’s health has reportedly become a matter of legal risk.

Governments do not own the truth. They hold it in trust for the people they serve. When a nation’s leader disappears from public view for an extended period without credible official updates, speculation is inevitable. It is not journalists who create rumors; it is official silence that gives them life.

Unity Palace has both the responsibility and the means to put an end to the uncertainty. A clear, verifiable statement detailing President Biya’s whereabouts, his capacity to discharge the duties of his office and the constitutional arrangements in place—if any—would go a long way toward restoring public confidence. Such transparency would serve not only the Cameroonian people but also the country’s institutions and international partners.

Cameroon Concord News has a duty to report facts, not rumors. We also have an obligation to ask difficult questions when those entrusted with public office refuse to provide answers. We therefore call upon the Government of Prime Minister Dion Ngute to immediately issue a comprehensive and credible statement addressing President Paul Biya’s prolonged absence.

Should the government continue to withhold basic information regarding the Head of State’s status and whereabouts, Cameroon Concord News will be left with no other option than to put up an obituary announcement on Biya soonest. The burden of ending speculation rests squarely with Prime Minister Dion Ngute and his cabinet, which possesses the information the public, has every right to know.

History has repeatedly shown that transparency strengthens governments, while secrecy weakens public trust. Cameroon deserves facts, not whispers; accountability, not censorship; clarity, not uncertainty.

The time for silence has long passed.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Speculation surrounding President Paul Biya’s condition and political future has once again exposed a fundamental weakness in Cameroon’s governance: the absence of a clear and credible transition strategy. Whether the rumor proves true or false is ultimately secondary to the larger issue. A nation of millions cannot afford to have its future held hostage by uncertainty.

The responsibility now rests squarely with the Political Bureau of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM). As the governing party and the country’s dominant political force for decades, it has both the authority and the obligation to reassure citizens that the state remains stable, functional and prepared for every eventuality.

An emergency session of the Political Bureau should be convened without delay. Such a meeting would not be an admission of crisis; rather, it would demonstrate responsible leadership and institutional maturity. Every enduring political organization must be capable of managing succession in an orderly and transparent manner.

Cameroon stands at a defining moment. The country’s economic challenges, security concerns and aspirations of its youthful population demand leadership that is present, energetic and capable of engaging directly with the realities of the day. Prolonged ambiguity serves no one. It fuels speculation, unsettles investors, weakens public confidence and creates unnecessary political tension.

The CPDM Political Bureau should use an emergency session to chart a clear path forward by identifying and endorsing a new leader capable of uniting the party and presenting a compelling vision for the nation’s future. Such a decision should be guided by competence, integrity, experience and a commitment to national cohesion rather than factional interests.

This is not merely about preserving the fortunes of the CPDM. It is about protecting the stability of the Republic. History has shown that countries fare best when leadership transitions are managed through strong institutions rather than uncertainty and rumor.

Cameroonians deserve clarity. They deserve confidence that their institutions are prepared for tomorrow regardless of today’s speculation. The ruling party has an opportunity to demonstrate that it places the nation’s interests above political hesitation.

The time for silence has passed. The time for decisive, responsible leadership is now. The CPDM Political Bureau should convene an emergency session immediately and provide the country with a clear, credible roadmap for the future through the selection of a new national chairman.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

More than 50 days into President Paul Biya’s latest stay in Switzerland, Cameroon has once again found itself confronting familiar questions about presidential absence, succession and the future of governance. Yet if this prolonged absence has exposed the vulnerabilities of an aging political system, it has also revealed an equally uncomfortable truth: the Cameroonian opposition remains unable to transform political opportunity into a credible national movement.

For years, opposition leaders have argued that President Biya’s long rule has exhausted the country’s political institutions and that Cameroon urgently needs democratic renewal. If that diagnosis is correct, then the president’s extended stay abroad should have represented a defining political moment. Instead, Issa Tchiroma, Akere Muna, Maurice Kamto, Joshua Osih and others have largely settled for press conferences, social media statements and isolated criticisms that have failed to generate sustained national momentum.

The problem is not a lack of grievances. Cameroon faces persistent economic pressures, youth unemployment, insecurity in several regions and widespread public frustration over governance. These concerns are real and deeply felt. What has been missing is an opposition capable of organizing these frustrations into a coherent political project.

Too often, opposition parties such as the SDF, MRC, UNDP and of late Issa Tchiroma’s majority following appear more invested in competing with one another than in building a united front. Personal rivalries overshadow strategic cooperation. Leaders who speak passionately about change frequently struggle to agree on common priorities or a shared electoral strategy. The result is fragmentation at precisely the moment when unity would carry the greatest political weight.

The inability to capitalize on President Biya’s prolonged absence also raises questions about preparation. Effective opposition movements do not wait for political openings to develop policies, grassroots networks or leadership structures. They spend years building credibility so that when circumstances shift, they are ready to offer themselves as a convincing alternative. In Cameroon, that level of preparation has often been lacking.

Many Cameroonians seeking change are left asking a difficult question: if the opposition cannot organize effectively during one of the most politically symbolic periods in recent years, how can it persuade voters that it is prepared to govern a complex country?

Criticism of the government alone is no longer enough. Cameroonians increasingly want practical proposals on economic recovery, employment, national reconciliation, decentralization, security and institutional reform. An opposition that defines itself solely by opposition risks only reinforces the perception that it has no governing vision beyond replacing those currently in power.

This is not to ignore the genuine constraints facing opposition parties. Cameroon has long been criticized by domestic and international observers for restrictions on political competition, unequal access to state resources and legal and administrative obstacles confronting opposition actors. These realities make political mobilization considerably more difficult. However, structural disadvantages cannot explain every missed opportunity. Political leadership is ultimately measured not only by the obstacles it faces but also by its ability to adapt, innovate and inspire under difficult conditions.

President Biya’s extended stay abroad has once again highlighted the uncertainties surrounding Cameroon’s political future. Yet history may judge this period not only by the actions of those in power, but also by the inability of their challengers to present themselves as a disciplined, united and credible alternative.

Political opportunities are rarely permanent. They emerge unexpectedly and disappear just as quickly. Unless the Cameroonian opposition can overcome its divisions, articulate a compelling national vision, and build genuine grassroots momentum, it risks watching another historic opening pass by—leaving the country’s political landscape fundamentally unchanged. Kamto, Akere, Tchiroma-over to you people!

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai