Campaigning for Cameroon's election has begun, but President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state and a candidate for an eighth term, is inexplicably absent, having departed for a "private trip to Europe." This marks a pattern of public absences and health rumors concerning the 92-year-old leader, who has spent an estimated 4.5 years of his presidency abroad.

• Paul Biya, Cameroon's President, is seeking an eighth term in the October 12 election.
• He left for a "private trip to Europe" amid the start of campaigning, with diplomatic sources placing him in Geneva.
• His daughter, Brenda Biya, initially urged Cameroonians not to vote for him in a TikTok video before retracting the statement.
• An association of Cameroonians in Europe is protesting his stay in Geneva, highlighting the country's poverty where nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.