Cameroon's President Paul Biya Reshuffles Military Amid Prolonged Absence

Cameroon's President Paul Biya has reshuffled the country's senior military leadership through three separate presidential decrees signed from Geneva, Switzerland. The 93 year old leader, who is the world's oldest head of state, has not been seen in public for 58 days. He left Cameroon on June 7 for what the civil cabinet described as a brief private stay in Europe. The reshuffle includes the promotion of five colonels to the rank of brigadier general, including Raymond Jean Charles Beko'o Abondo, who was reappointed as commander of the elite presidential guard. Other changes include a new commander of the Rapid Intervention Brigade and the promotion of Major General Ebaka Hippolyte to Major General of the Armed Forces General Staff. Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi has stated that the president is alive and will return soon, dismissing claims that the absence creates a vacancy in state leadership. However, the opposition CRM party has described the situation as a glaring institutional vacuum. Center leaning coverage emphasizes the historical context of Biya's military shake ups during times of perceived weakness and notes a media ban on reporting his health. Center right leaning coverage focuses on the specific duration of his absence and the fact that the ruling party held a rare meeting of senior leaders as criticism mounted.