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Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has appointed a general to head his presidential guard for the first time, as questions mount over the 93-year-old leader’s prolonged absence from the country.
A decree dated August 3 named General Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo, 54, to lead the presidential guard, one of four generals now heading units responsible for presidential protection, according to the official text.
The decree also appointed army chief Hippolyte Ebaka as chief of defence staff, making him deputy to the highest-ranking military officer, Chief of General Staff Rene Claude Meka.
The appointments come amid renewed debate over Biya’s absence and his ability to carry out his duties, as the world’s longest-serving head of state has not been seen in public for nearly two months.
The government has denied that his health has deteriorated and said he would return to Cameroon soon.
Biya, who has been president since 1982, is Africa’s longest-ruling leader.
His frequent overseas trips have long fuelled speculation about his health, though officials have consistently dismissed such concerns.
Cameroon’s opposition has said Biya’s absence had created an “institutional vacuum” that had put the country on “autopilot.”
The appointment of a new government and vice-president has been pending for several months.
