Biya in Congo For CEMAC Without Chantal Again?

By Yussuf Sariki

For quite sometime now President Paul Biya has been absent from the international scenario with his wife. He has seldom undertaken an international trip without Chantal. Even the last African Union, AU Summit at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he was conspicuously absent. Yet, Biya sent a congratulatory message to the South African Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, for her election as AU Commission President. If President Biya was not in Ethiopia, it is highly probable that he would be in Brazzaville Congo this week. But would Biya be there with his wife Chantal?

Last week, Prime Minister Philemon Yang, granted audience to Isidore Mvoba, an envoy of the Congolese President, Denis Sassou Ngueso. The envoy handed a sealed envelop for Yang to transmit it to President Biya. Though the content was unknown, Chronicle gathered that it couldn’t have been outside a reiteration for President Biya to attend the Economic and Custom Union of Central African States, CEMAC Summit this week in Brazzaville-Congo.

Should President Biya respect the rendezvous in Brazzaville, his entourage may not include his wife, Chantal who has conspicuously been absent from public view for quite sometime. Nobody knows the whereabouts of Chantal Biya.

When last May 20, she was absent from the grandstand parade at the May 20^th Avenue, many thought it was just a strategy. But when she was not present at the evening banquet at the unity palace, it drew many speculations.

Chantal Biya has traditionally been beside her husband for almost every official outing. She was conspicuously absent when President Biya laid the foundation stone for the Memve’ele project. Another gigantic project under President Biya’s grand realization agenda, is also going to take Biya to the East region. He is expected to lay the foundation stone for the Lom Panger project soon. Should Chantal still be absent, many questions as to her whereabouts would still be posed.

The civil cabinet at the presidency is probably aware about the worries of Cameroonians about the whereabouts of their pretty, charming and accommodating first lady. Yet, no one has come out to make clarifications; not even Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the Communication Minister. Perhaps, given that it could become an intrusion into the private life of the presidential couple, reason why there has been silence.

Meanwhile the CEMAC summit would be holding at the heels of the Central African sub region, having lost a major election. Jean Ping, the African Union, AU Commission President was beaten by the South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Jean Ping hails from Gabon, a CEMAC member state. He was imposingly in Yaounde 2 years ago during celebrations marking the 50^th anniversary of Cameroon’s independence. He had since been seen as a close Biya ally. It is even unclear to whom the Cameroon delegation at the AU Summit voted for.

But last week, President Biya played the diplomacy to extend a message of congratulations to the South African. And this could be understandable, given Cameroon’s bilingual character and Commonwealth and Francophonie membership. Implicitly, Cameroon is supposed to be comfortable with either or French or English speaking candidate.