Paul Biya has now spent 65 days outside Cameroon, with no clear indication of when he will return.
Biya left Cameroon on June 7 for what the presidency described as a “brief private stay” in Europe. However, Tuesday, August 11, marks his 65th day abroad.
Since his departure, the 93-year-old president has made no public appearance. The presidency has also announced no official date for his return.
Meanwhile, one closely watched opportunity for Biya to reappear has already passed.
Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally visited Cameroon from July 31 to August 4. However, she did not meet the long-serving president during her visit.
Instead, on the final day of her visit, Presidency Secretary-General Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh received her at the Unity Palace on behalf of Biya.
Meanwhile, the estimated cost of the presidential delegation’s accommodation in Geneva has crossed another major threshold.
MMI News estimates that 65 nights could cost between £4.08 million and £4.89 million for accommodation alone.
That translates to roughly FCFA 3.12 billion to FCFA 3.74 billion.
The estimate uses the reported arrangement of a cleared hotel floor plus about 30 additional rooms. It also relies on published hotel rates gathered during MMI News’ investigation.
For the first time, both ends of the estimate have crossed the FCFA 3 billion mark.
At the lower estimate of FCFA 3.12 billion, the money could reportedly finance about 62 integrated health centres.
It could also provide approximately 312 classrooms. Alternatively, it could cover one year’s minimum wage for more than 4,300 workers.
These comparisons rely on government tender prices and minimum wage calculations used in MMI News’ investigation.
However, the estimate covers accommodation only. It excludes flights, food, vehicles, security, allowances and other expenses.
The figures also do not represent an official hotel invoice. Instead, they rely on publicly available room rates.
BaretaNews understands that MMI News contacted the Presidency, InterContinental Genève and parent company IHG on July 8.
The organisations were asked to provide actual invoices or delegation details. They were also invited to correct the published estimates.
However, no response had been received when MMI News last updated its investigation.
For Ambazonians and Cameroonians facing worsening economic hardship, the unanswered questions remain.
When will Biya return? And how much is this prolonged European stay costing the people?
