By Eye Media Uganda | Yaoundé, Cameroon | Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Cameroon President Paul Biya on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, announced 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 amid growing scrutiny over his prolonged absence.
The changes were made through three separate presidential decrees signed on Monday and later announced on national radio.
Among the key appointments was the promotion of the commander of the Presidential Guard from colonel to brigadier general. The reshuffle also saw the appointment of a new commander of the Rapid Intervention Brigade, the promotion of Major General Ebaka Hippolyte to Major General of the Armed Forces General Staff, the elevation of several colonels to the rank of brigadier general, and changes to commanders of motorised infantry brigades.
The military shake-up comes as Biya, 93, remains out of the public eye after leaving Cameroon on June 7, 2026, for what the government described as “a brief private stay in Europe.” More than two months later, the veteran leader has not returned, sparking widespread speculation about his health, whereabouts and ability to govern.
Government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi did not respond to requests for comment on the latest appointments. However, he told French broadcaster RFI on Sunday that “the president is alive” and would soon return to Cameroon.
Cameroon’s ruling party last month convened a rare meeting of senior leaders as criticism intensified over Biya’s continued absence from the country.
Biya, who has ruled the Central African nation since 1982 and is the world’s oldest serving head of state, frequently spends long periods abroad. However, his current overseas trip is one of the longest of his presidency, further fuelling debate about the country’s political future and succession.
