Cameroon governance analyst Benjamin Ngongang has taken President Paul Biya’s extended European stay to task, arguing that remote governance undermines democratic accountability.

The Cameroonian head of state’s latest private trip to Europe became the focal point of a heated discussion on Canal Presse, a Sunday morning show on Canal 2 International. During the broadcast, Ngongang questioned why the president continues to manage state affairs from abroad without conducting on-the-ground assessments of critical situations.

«A president is not elected to govern from abroad. It’s concerning that even members of the ruling party have not raised alarms about the head of state’s 49-day absence. The president left Cameroon on June 7, and as of July 26, he has spent 49 consecutive days outside the country—matching his previous record. If he doesn’t return tonight, he will set a new record for the longest foreign stay», Ngongang asserted during the show.

«No other country in the world tolerates this. Cameroon is truly setting a troubling precedent. There is no nation where a president remains abroad for more than 30 days, whether for personal or official reasons», he continued.

«Leaders facing far greater challenges—the U.S. president and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, both engaged in active warfare—have left their countries to meet in Geneva or other neutral locations. They don’t stay abroad for 49 days. Even when brokering peace in complex conflicts, they travel, conduct negotiations, and return. The supreme leader’s role is to finalize agreements prepared by technical teams», Ngongang explained on the show.