The oldest head of state in the world, Paul Biya of Cameroon, turns 92 on Thursday after more than 40 years in office, but he has not said whether he would seek reelection this year.
In the October elections, many people, including the divided opposition, are certain that the leader, who was elected for the first time in 1982, will run for an eighth term.
Human rights advocates claim that Biya strengthened his dictatorial hold on power during hotly disputed elections in 2018 and that dissenting views were swiftly suppressed, arrested, and imprisoned.
Biya has not chosen a successor, and it is still taboo to discuss who will take his place.
When Biya vanished for a few weeks last year, worries about his health increased. Authorities issued a statement claiming that Biya was in Switzerland, where the leader frequently spends extended stays at upscale vacation spots, in response to persistent rumors.
The local media was then officially prohibited by the government from reporting on his health.
Biya has made few public appearances since his return to the nation on October 21.
These have included a few speeches that were televised, a regional meeting in the capital Yaounde, and a few formal pictures at the presidential palace.
