YAOUNDE, Cameroon — President Paul Biya returned Thursday to Cameroon after staying abroad for more than two months, which had raised concerns about the 93-year-old leader’s health and a possible power vacuum in the Central African country.
\n\nBiya arrived at the international airport in the capital, Yaoundé, aboard a flight from Geneva, Switzerland, after more than 10 weeks away.
\n\nThe world’s oldest president, who has led Cameroon since 1982, began his eighth term in office in November after winning a widely disputed election in October.
\n\nBiya had left the country on June 7 for what his office described as “a brief private stay in Europe,” but it became the longest recorded absence of his presidency.
\n\nThe health of the president has long been a topic of speculation as he spends significant time in Europe, including France and Switzerland, where he often spends weeks while leaving governance to key party officials and family members.
\n\nCameroon’s constitution does not specifically prohibit a president from leaving the country for months. But without a vice president, an appointment Biya has full control over, the opposition has described the country as being run on “autopilot.”
\n\nBiya’s close collaborators were at the airport on Thursday, but…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business