Cameroon's Biya, unseen for 58 days, reshuffles military leadership

Paul Biya reshuffled senior military staff on Monday, announcing the changes on national radio. The reshuffle included promoting the head of the Presidential Guard to a brigadier general from colonel and replacing commanders in four of the country's five joint military regions, according to three separate presidential decrees. The appointments also included a new commander of the Rapid Intervention Brigade, the promotion of Major General Ebaka Hippolyte to Major General of the Armed Forces General Staff, and changes to motorised infantry brigades.

Biya has been out of the public eye for two months, having left Cameroon on June 7 for "a brief private stay in Europe." Rene Emmanuel Sadi, Cameroon's government spokesperson, told French broadcaster RFI on Sunday that "the president is alive" and will soon return. Cameroon's ruling party called a rare meeting of senior leaders last month as criticism mounted over Biya's continued absence. Biya, 93, has ruled the country since 1982, and the current overseas trip is one of his longest yet.