The hand that governs Cameroon

President Paul Biya finally returned to Cameroon on Thursday, August 20th, concluding a 74-day private visit to Switzerland. Citizens eagerly awaiting his return were met with a glimpse of his hand waving from the partially lowered window of the presidential limousine.

Cameroonians had anticipated seeing their long-serving leader at the foot of the aircraft gangway, as is customary, greeting key figures from the Etoudi palace. Instead, they were shown only a hand. In the realm of politics, such a detail is far from insignificant. The hand holds four symbolic degrees in political discourse: the hand that kills, the hand that cheats, the hand that blesses, and ultimately, the hand that governs.

Degree 1: The hand that kills

In ancient Rome’s coliseum, silence fell as all eyes fixed upon Caesar’s hand. A raised thumb meant life for the gladiators; a lowered thumb signaled death. On Thursday, August 20th, in Yaoundé, the dynamic was reversed. It was not the Emperor’s hand dictating the gladiator’s fate. Rather, it was the gladiator’s hand that needed to demonstrate to the nation that he was still alive. Cameroonians observed President Biya’s hand offering a salute, affirming his return alive.

Degree 2: The hand that cheats

When physical capabilities wane, one might resort to trickery with the hand. In 1986, Argentine football legend Diego Maradona scored a goal against England using his hand, famously dubbing it the ‘Hand of God.’ Despite widespread recognition of the deception, the referee allowed the goal. Similarly, on Thursday, while observers noted only a hand, Cameroon’s national television, CRTV, with its extensive crew filming the motorcade, presented it as a validated miracle.

Degree 3: The hand that blesses

Within religious traditions, power often emanates from the hand. A priest lays on hands, the Pope bestows his blessing Urbi et Orbi, and a monarch is consecrated through anointing. Once anointed, the hand becomes a sacred relic. Thursday witnessed an inverted liturgy: a relic-like hand emerging from a tinted window, much like a reliquary paraded on festive days, to sustain the faith of the populace.

Degree 4: The hand that governs

This brings us to the ultimate degree: the hand that signs. Throughout the 74-day period of his brief stay in Switzerland, the public was assured that the state’s functions continued. Why? Because the hand was signing – decrees, appointments, and legislation. The hand was present, even in the absence of the body. This is the oldest legal definition of power: the manus, the hand. In Latin, manus signifies power. There are no longer speeches, no physical presence, no walk across the tarmac. All that remains are the signature and the salute. The hand that signs and the hand that greets.

In Rome, the hand determined the fate of others. In the church, it conferred blessings. In Yaoundé, it primarily signifies that the individual wielding it remains in power. After forty-three years of governance, Cameroonians will likely need to adjust, for an indeterminate period—probably shorter than long—to being governed by a hand. Cameroonian journalist Marie Roger Biloa states it more directly: “Cameroon,” she asserts, “must prepare to confront the definitive disappearance of a president who is already de facto absent.”