Cameroon President Paul Biya absent for two months amid health concerns
Biya, 93, left Cameroon on 7 June 2026 for a private trip to Europe and has not returned
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party, waits to cast his vote during the presidential elections, Oct. 7, 2018, in Yaounde, Cameroon. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)
Photograph: Associated Press News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Paul Biya, 93, has not been in Cameroon since 7 June 2026, marking one of his longest absences during his 44-year rule.
- Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary said there is a perception that “all is not well” with Biya’s health and leadership.
- Residents in Yaoundé expressed concern, with some saying they do not know if the president is alive.
- Recent military leadership reshuffles have heightened speculation about governance and succession.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 8 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
78/100
Craft
95/100
Hype
15/100
8 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 8 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has been outside the country for two months, since leaving on 7 June 2026 for what his office described as a “brief private stay in Europe”. Biya, who is 93 years old and has ruled Cameroon since 1982, began his eighth term in November 2025 after an election that opposition figures disputed. His absence has lasted longer than many of his previous trips abroad, which have often included extended stays in Switzerland and France.
The constitution of Cameroon does not set a limit on how long the president may remain outside the country. Biya has not appointed a vice president, leaving governance in the hands of party officials and family members. Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who ran against Biya in the 2025 election, said in a text message from exile that there is a widespread perception in Cameroon that “all is not well” with the president’s health. Bakary added that the prolonged absence “aggravates that lack of legitimacy and his desperate attempts to hold on to power by force”.
In Yaoundé, residents have expressed mixed reactions. Some, like Abdou Salam Njoya, said they remain confident in Biya’s leadership. Others, including Tchoffo Jule and Majesté Arouna, said they are concerned about the lack of information. Arouna said, “We don’t know whether our president is alive or not, and this makes us even more uncomfortable.” A political analyst quoted by Africa News said the country is facing “difficult institutional challenges” and that discussions about the post-Biya era can no longer be avoided.
On 4 August 2026, Biya reshuffled the top military leadership, replacing commanders of four of the country’s five joint military regions. The Associated Press reported that no official reason was given for the changes, though one of the replaced commanders had died and another had retired. The reshuffle has raised further questions about the stability of governance during Biya’s absence.
What the coverage left out
No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the digests or reports mentioned the cost of Biya’s stay abroad, or whether the government has released any official updates on his health since his departure. The full reports from the left-rated outlets did not include comments from Biya’s office or from members of his party.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 6 Aug 2026, 13:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
Cameroon President Paul Biya absent for two months amid health concerns
Africa News — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- The seven left-rated reports led on the concerns raised by Biya’s prolonged absence. The Associated Press and Africa News both quoted opposition figures and residents who questioned the president’s health and the stability of governance. The Associated Press included comments from Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who said the absence “aggravates that lack of legitimacy”, and from a law professor who compared Cameroon to a “seriously sick” body. Africa News quoted residents who said they do not know if Biya is alive, and a political analyst who said discussions about the post-Biya era can no longer be avoided.
- The two full reports from the left-rated outlets carried details that the digests did not. The Associated Press noted that Biya’s 2025 reelection sparked protests that left at least four people dead, and that a 2008 constitutional amendment abolished term limits. Africa News reported that Biya’s absence has dominated newspaper headlines and public conversations in Yaoundé, and that the government has shown signs of confusion. Both full reports quoted residents and analysts by name.
Centre
1 rated outlet
- The one centre-rated digest, from the Winnipeg Free Press, carried the Associated Press report in full. It led on the same facts as the left-rated outlets: Biya’s two-month absence, concerns about his health, and criticisms of a possible power vacuum. The digest did not add or omit any details from the original report.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Read it at the source
8 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
7- Cameroon’s president draws concern and criticism by staying abroad for 2 months (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cameroon’s president draws concern and criticism by staying abroad for 2 months (opens St Catharines Standard in a new tab)
St Catharines Standard — is St Catharines Standard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cameroon’s president draws concern and criticism by staying abroad for 2 months (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cameroon's president draws concern and criticism by staying abroad for 2 months (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cameroon's president draws concern and criticism by staying abroad for 2 months (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Concern mounts in Cameroon over Biya’s prolonged absence (opens Africa News in a new tab)
Africa News — is Africa News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cameroon: Paul Biya's Prolonged Absence Embarrasss Diplomatic Circles (opens JeuneAfrique.com in a new tab)
JeuneAfrique.com
Centre
1Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
