Cameroon bans media talk of President’s health amid rumours

Cameroon’s government has issued a ban preventing the media from discussing the health of President Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest-ruling leader, following widespread rumours that the 91-year-old leader is gravely ill. According to a document obtained by AFP, the order was issued as concerns grow over Biya’s absence from public appearances since early September.

The directive, dated October 9 and signed by Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji, emphasized the sensitivity of the president’s health as a matter of national security. “The head of state is the principal institution of the republic, and discussions on his condition are a matter of national security,” the document read.

It went on to warn that any media outlet discussing Biya’s health would face legal consequences, adding that regional governors were instructed to create monitoring units to track media content, including on social media. “All discussion in the media on the president’s condition is therefore officially banned,” the document stated. It also bore a red stamp reading “highly urgent”, indicating the severity of the government’s response to the rumours.

Biya, who is currently the world’s oldest serving leader, has ruled Cameroon for more than 41 years. His absence from public view over the past month has sparked speculation about his health, particularly after he missed the United Nations General Assembly and a summit of French-speaking countries in Paris. The last time he was seen in public was at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing in September.

In an attempt to quell rumours, the president’s office issued a statement on Tuesday, insisting that Biya was in “excellent health” and dismissing the speculation as “disinformation”. The statement further added that the president is currently working from Geneva and would return to Cameroon “in the coming days”.

Despite these reassurances, concerns remain due to Biya’s increasingly rare public appearances in recent years, which have been limited to pre-recorded speeches and occasional family photographs or videos alongside his wife, Chantal Biya.

The ban on media discussions surrounding Biya’s health underscores the fragility of the political situation in Cameroon, where Biya has maintained a firm grip on power since 1982. His long tenure is second only to that of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, who has ruled for 45 years.