In this Monday’s political editorial broadcast on Radio Tiémeni Siantou (90.5 FM in Yaoundé and Bafang), commentator Eric Boniface Tchouakeu raises questions about President Paul Biya’s prolonged private trip to Europe.

The editorial follows the Head of State’s departure from Cameroon on June 7, 2026, described officially as a ‘short private stay’ in Europe, according to a statement from his Cabinet Director, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo.

Africa’s leading panafrican magazine, widely recognized for its credibility, Jeune Afrique, through multiple reports on this trip, has confirmed that the Cameroonian Head of State remains in Geneva, Switzerland—a city he frequents regularly since assuming office on November 6, 1982.

Initially presented as a brief visit, this prolonged absence has sparked widespread speculation, particularly regarding the 93-year-old President’s health, despite repeated reassurances from authorities. Some observers have even suggested the possibility of a power vacuum in Cameroon.

However, it is essential to clarify that, contrary to a common misconception, a power vacuum in Cameroon cannot be determined or confirmed solely by the number of days the President spends abroad. The constitution does not impose any time limit for such trips.

A power vacuum can only be declared under three strictly defined circumstances outlined in the current constitution: the President’s death, resignation, or definitive impediment. Notably, neither the constitution nor any other law specifies what constitutes a ‘definitive impediment’ that would justify declaring a power vacuum.

Therefore, raising concerns about a potential power vacuum based solely on an extended foreign stay is unfounded and legally unsupported.

The President could, in fact, reside abroad and govern Cameroon remotely throughout his mandate without violating any legal provisions. The real issue here lies in political ethics and morality.

The extended delay in forming the government after the October 12, 2025 presidential election, and the absence of a Vice President—despite the swift push to reintroduce this position—may explain why some are now meticulously tracking the number of days President Biya has spent abroad since June 7, 2026.

In his more than 43 years of uninterrupted leadership, the President has never signed or issued any significant decree from abroad.