Cameroon's Biya Returns Home After Record 73-Day Absence

Cameroon's President Paul Biya returned to Yaoundé on August 20, 2026, ending a 73-day stay in Europe — the longest recorded absence of his 44-year rule. State television broadcast his airport arrival. The 93-year-old, the world's oldest sitting head of state, had not been publicly seen for 58 days as of August 4, when Reuters reported a senior military reshuffle conducted from abroad. Biya left Cameroon on June 7.