Paul Biya (born 13 February 1933) is the President of Cameroon, having ruled the country since 6 November 1982, making him the second-longest-serving ruling president in Africa and the oldest head of state in the world. He succeeded Ahmadou Ahidjo and quickly consolidated power, presiding over a highly centralized presidential system that has defined Cameroonian politics for more than four decades. Trained as a senior civil servant, Biya initially projected an image of technocratic reform before entrenching an enduring personal rule anchored in the state, ruling party, and security apparatus. Biya’s presidency has been marked by political longevity, institutional rigidity, and recurring legitimacy questions. His frequent and prolonged stays abroad—particularly in Switzerland—have fueled domestic debate about absentee leadership. Domestically, the most serious challenge to his rule has been the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions, where a conflict between separatists and government forces has persisted since 2016, resulting in thousands of deaths and mass displacement. Despite periodic elections and constitutional amendments, Biya remains the central axis of Cameroonian power well into his 90s.