Cameroon President Paul Biya has approved a major reshuffle of the country’s senior military leadership, promoting the head of the Presidential Guard to brigadier general and replacing commanders in four of the country’s five joint military regions.
According to Reuters, the changes were announced through three presidential decrees signed on Monday and broadcast on state radio.
The reshuffle also included the appointment of a new commander of the Rapid Intervention Brigade, the promotion of Major General Ebaka Hippolyte to a senior Armed Forces General Staff position, and the elevation of several colonels to the rank of brigadier general.
The appointments come as Biya, 93, remains outside Cameroon after leaving for what officials described as a private visit to Europe on June 7. His prolonged absence has fueled speculation about his health and ability to govern.
Government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi recently insisted that the president is alive and will return soon, while the ruling party has held a rare meeting of senior officials amid growing public concern.
Biya has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and is the world’s oldest serving head of state.
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