Cameroon’s long-serving President Paul Biya, now 92 years old and the world’s oldest head of state, has made sweeping changes to the country’s military leadership just months before a crucial presidential election.

The reshuffle, announced through a series of presidential decrees late on Tuesday, affects nearly all divisions of the armed forces and comes just days after Biya declared his intention to run for an eighth term in office.

The new appointments include top-level replacements in the infantry, air force and navy, as well as the promotion of eight brigadier generals to major general.

Among the promoted officers is the coordinator of the powerful Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), an elite unit frequently deployed in counter-terror operations and widely considered a core element of Biya’s personal security structure. The decrees also named a new military adviser attached to the presidency.

The changes were made public two days after Biya confirmed he would contest the October 12 election.

If successful, the seven-year term would keep him in power until he is close to 100 years old. His announcement triggered strong reactions on social media and in the local press, where concerns over his age, prolonged absences from the public eye, and ability to lead have intensified.

Despite the growing criticism, the government has insisted Biya remains in good health and has dismissed all doubts surrounding his condition. However, observers see the military overhaul as a calculated move to reinforce loyalty within the security forces and protect Biya’s grip on power during a period of heightened political tension.

“This is a strategy by President Biya and his collaborators to consolidate power by building a fortress of loyal army generals around him that can suppress any protest to his continued rule,” said Anthony Antem, a peace and security analyst at the Nkafu Policy Institute in Yaounde.

Celestin Delanga, a researcher with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), also pointed to the timing and the broader political context. “The decrees come in a unique political and security context,” he said. “Biya wants to ensure stability during and after the election and additional trusted personnel are needed for that.”

Cameroon is currently grappling with a number of serious security concerns. Armed conflict continues in its two Anglophone regions, where separatist groups have been pushing for independence. In the north, Nigeria-based Islamist fighters remain a threat, and the government has been under pressure to strengthen its response.

The presidential decrees gave no official explanation for the reshuffle, and the presidency has not commented publicly on the reasoning behind the changes.

This is the most extensive shake-up of the military command since last year, when Biya restructured parts of the army following his return from another extended stay abroad—an absence that once again sparked speculation about his health and ability to govern.