Cameroonians await government reshuffle after Biya’s return

Yaounde, Cameroon – Every weekday at 5pm, Elvis Mbi tunes in to the state broadcaster’s flagship radio bulletin, hoping to hear an announcement from President Paul Biya that could signal a change in Cameroon’s political leadership.

Biya, 93, returned to Cameroon on August 20 after spending about 10 weeks abroad. His prolonged absence fuelled speculation about his health and whereabouts, including unverified claims that he had died.

His return raised expectations of a government reshuffle, but no new government had been appointed by October 6. The vice presidency, restored through a constitutional amendment in April, also remained vacant.

“Every Cameroonian was expecting that upon his return home, he was going to change government, but nothing up to this moment,” 39-year-old Mbi told Al Jazeera.

In his December 31, 2025, address to the nation, Biya promised that a new government would be formed “in the coming days”. More than nine months later, the promised change had yet to materialise.

Succession fears grow

The vacant vice presidency has drawn particular attention since politicians approved a constitutional amendment in April restoring the position abolished in 1972.

Under Law No. 2026/002, promulgated on April 14, the president may appoint and dismiss a vice president.

The amendment provides for the vice president to assume the presidency on an interim basis if the office becomes vacant because of the president’s death, resignation or permanent incapacity.

The vice president serves the remainder of the seven-year presidential term under the conditions set out in the Constitution.

A roundabout in downtown Yaounde reflects Cameroon’s national identity and the government’s promotion of bilingualism as a means of uniting the country amid ongoing conflict. [File: Amindeh Blaise Atabong/Al Jazeera]

The reform establishes a formal succession mechanism while leaving the appointment of the vice president to Biya. The amendment does not set a deadline for filling the post.

“We all know the president needs assistance in order to execute state duties and that’s why we are anxiously waiting for the appointment, but nothing has happened yet to our greatest dismay,” Mbi said.

A disputed presidential decree purporting to appoint a vice president has added to the speculation.

In June, an individual delivered a sealed envelope to Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) in Yaounde containing a purported presidential decree appointing a vice president.

The document appeared to bear the official seals of the presidency and a signature attributed to Biya, according to a government statement published by state newspaper Cameroon Tribune on July 1.

CRTV did not broadcast what the document said. The government said the decree had not been issued through the proper official process and confirmed that the individual had been detained and an investigation was under way.

For Jude Mutah, a Washington-based governance and democracy expert and director of member relations at the Corporate Council on Africa, the attention paid to the state broadcaster’s evening bulletin reflects public expectations of political change.

In the absence of clear information, rumours can gain traction, he said.

Cabral Libii, leader of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation and an opposition figure in the 2025 presidential election, has argued that appointing a vice president would matter beyond filling a vacant post.

“The vice presidency is not just another administrative post to be filled. Appointing your vice president means securing your leadership,” Libii said in a public appeal.

“A vice president of this calibre could help to mitigate the succession struggles that are currently paralysing collective action,” he added.

Economic uncertainty

The leadership questions are unfolding as Cameroon faces other challenges, including a separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions and an armed rebellion linked to Boko Haram around the Lake Chad Basin.

Jason Healy, a sub-Saharan Africa country risk analyst at BMI, part of Fitch Solutions, said uncertainty over political leadership could weigh on investor confidence.

CRTV Radio’s national station in Yaounde, where the 5–6pm news bulletin has drawn attention since President Paul Biya returned from his 10-week “brief private stay” in Europe. [File: Amindeh Blaise Atabong/Al Jazeera]

Healy warned that prolonged uncertainty could discourage some investors from committing to large, long-term projects. He also suggested that delaying appointments could be a political calculation by Biya, allowing him to retain control over the timing and composition of any changes.

Mbi Aziseh Azimboh, executive director of the Policy Lab for Civic Innovation and Community Solutions (POLITICOS), said prolonged uncertainty could slow government decision-making and delay reforms and public policies.

Government defends president’s prerogative

The government has defended Biya’s authority to decide when to make appointments.

In an interview with RFI in August, Communication Minister and government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi said the president had the authority to form a new government and determine when to do so.

“It is surely quite normal for him to take his time when entrusting such a high office to one of his fellow citizens,” Sadi said.

Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, a former minister and coordinator of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement’s academy, said citizens’ concerns were legitimate but maintained that the president had the constitutional prerogative to act when he chose.

The presidency did not respond to an Al Jazeera request for comment.

For Mbi, his radio-listening ritual continues.

“No one knows anything any more. It is so disheartening when I tune in each time but don’t get the big news,” he told Al Jazeera.