By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
President Paul Biya has appointed his son, Franck Emmanuel Biya, as Vice President of the Republic and Head of the Armed Forces, in a sweeping reshuffle that consolidates family control over Cameroon’s political and military hierarchy amid growing unrest.
A presidential decree dated 4 April 2026 formally elevated the younger Biya, who also becomes Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Defence. “Mr Franck Emmanuel Biya is appointed Vice President of the Republic of Cameroon,” the document states. It further names him “Head of the Armed Forces” and adds that he will serve as “Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Defence.”
The presidency cited “service requirements” and invoked constitutional provisions and defence laws to justify the move, ordering urgent registration and publication in the Official Gazette.
The appointments come months after Biya, 92, was sworn in for a disputed eighth term. Official results gave him 54 percent of the vote against opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s 35 percent. Bakary has rejected the outcome, alleging electoral fraud, which the government denies. The Constitutional Council dismissed all challenges.
Biya, who has ruled since 1982, praised the election as “satisfactory” and commended security forces for containing protests, without addressing allegations of excessive force.
Opponents say the appointment of his son to the vice presidency and military command intensifies concerns over succession planning and democratic governance, as calls for reform mount across the Central African nation.
