Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who has not been seen in public for 58 days, has ordered a major reshuffle of senior military leadership through a series of presidential decrees. Biya promoted the chief of the Presidential Guard from colonel to brigadier general, appointed a new commander for the Rapid Intervention Brigade, and replaced commanders in four of the country’s five joint military regions. Biya, 93, and the world’s oldest sitting head of state, left Cameroon for what officials described as a private trip to Europe on June 7 and has yet to return. When pressed for information on Biya’s whereabouts, government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi insisted the president is alive and will return soon. The prolonged absence has fueled speculation about Biya’s health and capacity to govern, prompting his own ruling party to convene an unusual leadership meeting last month.
Reuters