The mystery of the missing president
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is The Guardian.
Today, Cameroon's missing president.
What triggered concern about Cameroon's president going missing?
On the 7th of June, Cameroon's president, Paul Beer, left the country for what his office said was a brief private stay in Europe. And at first, this all seemed like nothing new. Bier is notorious for jetting off. He often spends months ruling remotely, often from the luxury of Geneva's Intercontinental Hotel, where he takes over an entire floor. But this time is different.
Speculations arrive amongst Cameroonians about the whereabouts of long-serving President Paul Biya. People want to know if he is in good health.
Cameroon is once again at the center of political attention as uncertainty grows over the prolonged absence of President Paul Biya, the world's oldest serving head of state.
With the singular question, where is Paul Biya?
59 days have passed since he left. The president seems to have just disappeared. Cameroon has heard or seen nothing from him.
How long has President Paul Biya been absent and why does it matter?
Rumours are spreading, especially considering the president is 93 years old. His ministers have been forced to publicly confirm that he is in fact still alive and he'll be back soon. And ordinary Cameroonians are saying, well, not much, because it's actually illegal to openly speculate about his health. With the future of Cameroon, one of Central Africa's largest economies, appearing to be hanging in the balance, who is actually running the country? From The Guardian, I'm Annie Kelly. Today in Focus, what happens when a country's president goes MIA? Aramo Abidjala, you are The Guardian's West Africa correspondent. Welcome to today in Focus.
Thank you very much, Annie.
Tell me a bit about Paul Beer.
What is Paul Biya's political history and how has he maintained power since 1982?
He first became president in 1982. Give me like a sense of his presidency. How has he been running the country?
He's always had such an interest and hold on power.
You solemnly swear before God and man to devote all your efforts to preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution.
He came into power by taking over the role of the guy who he was prime minister to, Ahmad Ahijo. And most people in Cameroon have known him as the only president. That's how entrenched he is in the system.
An independence of the Cameroon fatherland, I do so swear.
So Bia survived a near-successful coup attempt in 1984, and that made him very paranoid. And so what Bia has learned to do is to make his regime coup-proof. He's always learned to shuffle the pack and to always prioritize regime security over national security.
I mean, that's wild, isn't it? That idea that multi-generations have only ever known one president.
I mean, none of us on this call were probably born when he became president.
No, I know. Well, you know, apart from maybe one. But let's not go into that now. So, I mean, we're talking about this country. There's 30 million people in Cameroon. The average age is 18. So how is he seen in the country? Is he still popular? What do people think of him?
He's still popular, interestingly, in some areas in parts of the South where people still support him. And some feel, oh, the devil we know is better than the angel we don't. But also some people have just resigned to faith. They've gone through several elections. This guy has managed to win its term. And most people stopped voting. People just generally got disinterested in governors, thinking, oh, there's no way this guy can get out of office. And so all of that has benefited Biya.
Paul Biya, aged 92 and the world's oldest head of state, has been officially declared winner of the presidential election in Cameroon. securing a historic eighth term in office.
Even the last election, which seemed like things were going to finally change this time, you know, nothing did. So people are surprised by his remarkable ability to still walk at his age, to still, I guess, you know, do the things that he can do and be in office. So he addresses Cameroonians around three or four times every year. They know it, they can set their timetables and clocks to it. And other than that, no one sees him. And Biya really has had a lot of people do most of his work.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:21
2
What triggered concern about Cameroon's president going missing?
0:21–1:25
3
How long has President Paul Biya been absent and why does it matter?
1:25–2:31
4
What is Paul Biya's political history and how has he maintained power since 1982?
2:31–5:41
5
How does Biya’s pattern of long foreign stays (especially in Geneva) affect governance?
5:41–7:54
6
Who are the key figures likely to influence succession while Biya is missing?
7:54–10:02
7
What does the constitution say about succession and is there a vice-president ready to take over?
10:02–13:18
8
How are ordinary Cameroonians reacting and what protests followed the 2025 election?
13:18–22:44