The announcement is from the Minister of Communication, government spokesperson. René Emmanuel Sadi gave an interview to Radio France Internationale, which was broadcast on August 3, 2026.
56 days after President Paul Biya left Cameroon and while the opposition is increasing pressure for the vacancy to be declared, the government explains. The Minister of Communication, government spokesperson, seeks to reassure about the president’s condition. According to René Emmanuel Sadi, “the President of the Republic is not hospitalized.” The head of state had to take advantage of his presence in Geneva for a simple consultation.
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A statement that contradicts reports that the President of the Republic underwent knee surgery. However, the minister still does not specify where the President of the Republic is located. After stating that he is in Geneva, he leaves it to those with President Paul Biya to provide clarifications on whether he is in the hospital or at the hotel.
Besides the president’s condition, the minister addresses the issue of vacancy at the presidency of the Republic. For him, there is no question of talking about a vacancy at the head of power. The matter is regulated. According to the Constitution, there can be a vacancy in case of death, resignation, or definitive impediment established by the Constitutional Council.
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The Constitutional Council has not ruled to declare a vacancy at the head of state. President Paul Biya is alive. He has not resigned, reassures the minister. Opponents who insist on declaring the vacancy “should have a reading of the fundamental law that is as objective as possible, a reading that sticks to the letter and not one that proceeds from a manifestly biased interpretation,” he said.
Nevertheless, the Minister of Communication acknowledges that it is normal for the people to ask where the head of state is. However, he assures that even in his absence, institutions function normally and the main officials of the administration go about their duties. To the concerns of those who just re-elected the president, the government spokesperson responds by announcing that “President Paul Biya will return very soon,” without specifying the date.
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