“Who's running Cameroon?” Biya's 48-day disappearance sparks fresh power vacuum drama

• Paul Biya has been away from Cameroon for 48 days, staying in Switzerland since June 7.

• Opposition parties say the country is operating on "autopilot" amid delays in forming a new government.

• Biya's prolonged absence has fueled fresh succession debates, with growing speculation about internal power struggles.

• No vice-president has been appointed, despite constitutional reforms creating the position earlier this year.

Cameroon's long-serving President Paul Biya has now spent 48 days outside the country, and people are once again asking the same question: who is actually running the country?

Biya, who is 93 years old and has ruled Cameroon for more than four decades, left the country on June 7 for what the presidency described as a "short, private stay in Europe" alongside First Lady Chantal Biya.

The president is believed to be in Switzerland, a country he has visited regularly over the years. But with nearly seven weeks gone, his continued absence has sparked fresh criticism from opposition leaders and raised concerns over what many describe as a growing leadership vacuum.

The Cameroonian government has repeatedly insisted there's nothing unusual about the president's trip.

Back on June 18, Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi dismissed reports suggesting Biya had been admitted to a hospital in Geneva, insisting the rumours were false.

Despite those assurances, critics say the country cannot continue functioning without its leader being physically present for such long periods.

Mamadou Mota, vice-president of the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), described the situation as a "glaring institutional vacuum" in a Facebook post on Friday.

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The criticism isn't coming from just one political party.

Earlier this month, Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, who leads the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC), urged the government to establish "an impartial procedure for determining the temporary or permanent incapacity" of the head of state.

The Social Democratic Front (SDF), another opposition party, also claimed on Friday that Cameroon is currently "on autopilot".

Government officials strongly disagree.

Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo dismissed the allegations earlier this week, insisting that Biya remains fully in charge despite being abroad.

"Wherever he is, the head of state is meticulously following the files submitted to him… by his aides," Ndongo said.

For many Cameroonians, the president's absence is only one part of the bigger problem.

After winning an eighth presidential term in October, Biya promised during his New Year's Eve address that he would announce a new government team "in the coming days".

More than seven months later, that reshuffle still hasn't happened.

Municipal and legislative elections have also been postponed several times, allowing current officeholders to remain in office longer than expected.

According to Viviane Ondoua Biwole, a professor of public management at the University of Yaounde, many citizens have simply grown tired of waiting.

"People are worn out from waiting," she told AFP.

"First of all because the current government has been in place for eight years, which is a record. Next, because we are coming out of an election with very mixed results. Many people consider after an election, it is time for renewal," she added.

Biya's victory in last year's election was challenged by opposition parties and drew reservations from several Western embassies. The protests that followed were violently suppressed, with the government acknowledging that "several dozen" people died, although it has never released an official death toll.

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As Biya remains away, conversations about who takes over after him have become even louder.

Earlier this year, Cameroon amended its constitution to create the office of vice-president. But months later, nobody has been appointed to the position.

The uncertainty has even triggered misinformation.

In June, fake presidential documents claiming a vice-president had already been appointed were sent to a state-owned radio station. Journalists verified the documents were fake and refused to air the report.

Political analysts believe tensions may already be building behind the scenes.

According to political scientist Stephane Akoa, "increasingly leaks mention infighting between the various factions in his inner circle".

He also claimed First Lady Chantal Biya is becoming more influential in government affairs, saying she is "increasingly present in state affairs", with "her name often being mentioned in decision-making and appointments".

If the presidency ever becomes officially vacant before a new election, Cameroon’s Senate President, Aboubakary Abdoulaye, would be next in line to lead the country until a presidential election is conducted.

For now, however, Paul Biya remains Cameroon’s president on paper, even as his prolonged stay outside the country continues to fuel debate over leadership, succession, and the future of one of Africa’s longest-serving governments.