Prolonged and poorly explained absences by elderly African leaders are fueling growing concern across the continent, with officials often offering only vague accounts—or none at all—about their whereabouts, writes Michelle Gavin for the Council on Foreign Relations.
Gavin points to 93-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya, whose latest extended stay away from the country has raised questions about whether he will return. “Rumors of his failing health abound,” Gavin wrote, while uncertainty over potential successors continues to deepen because the position of vice-president remains vacant.
