YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) 鈥� President Paul Biya returned Thursday to after , which had raised concerns about the 93-year-old leader’s health and a possible power vacuum in the Central African country.
Biya arrived at the international airport in the capital, Yaound茅, aboard a flight from Geneva, Switzerland, after more than 10 weeks away.
The world鈥檚 oldest president, who has led Cameroon since 1982, began his in November after in October.
Biya had left the country on June 7 for what his office described as 鈥渁 brief private stay in Europe,鈥� but it became the longest recorded absence of his presidency.
The has long been a topic of speculation as he spends significant time in Europe, including France and Switzerland, where he often spends weeks while leaving governance to key party officials and family members.
Cameroon鈥檚 constitution does not specifically prohibit a president from leaving the country for months. But without a , an appointment Biya has full control over, the opposition has described the country as being run on 鈥渁utopilot.鈥�
Biya鈥檚 close collaborators were at the airport on Thursday, but he was not shown descending from the plane and held no briefings. He was seen waving to supporters from his vehicle.
The results of Biya’s nearly half-century in power have been mixed. Armed insurgencies by and , along with a stagnant economy, have left many young people disillusioned with the leader.
The president鈥檚 reelection last year sparked widespread protests that left at least 16 people dead, according to government figures, signaling significant tensions between the mostly young population and its aging leader.
After a 2008 constitutional amendment abolished term limits, Biya has now led Cameroon longer than most of its citizens have been alive: More than 70% of the country鈥檚 population of nearly 30 million people is below the age of 35.
In April, Cameroon鈥檚 parliament reinstated the vice president鈥檚 post, a move criticized by the opposition as a power grab because Biya can appoint and dismiss the deputy at will and determine which powers the office can exercise.
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