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Paul Biya's return to Cameroon draws mockery over repeated absences

Cameroonian President Paul Biya wearing an interpretation earpiece
Cameroonian President Paul Biya (file)

Madar (International) - The return to Cameroon of 93-year-old President Paul Biya from Switzerland has sparked a wave of criticism and mocking comments on social media over his repeated absences from the country.

Biya has ruled the country since 1982 and is serving his eighth presidential term after being re-elected last year, making him one of the world's longest-serving leaders, while about half of Cameroon's population has known no other president.

According to The Washington Post, citizens criticised a return that, in their words, looked more like a visit by a foreign president, at a time when the country faces economic and security challenges, including unemployment and a separatist conflict that has lasted nearly a decade.

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