Reports of My Death …

The Cameroonian government banned all public discussions about President Paul Biya’s health, calling it a matter of “national security” after the 91-year-old leader’s absence from public events has fueled rumors about his passing and concern about the country’s stability, the Guardian reported.

Late last week, Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji issued a directive instructing regional governors to enforce the ban, warning that media outlets and social media users who violated it would face prosecution.

The move came amid persistent rumors regarding Biya’s health, and even death, after he missed a number of prominent international events, including last month’s United Nations General Assembly and the La Francophonie summit in France in early October.

The government has dismissed these rumors as “pure fantasy” and maintained that the president was in good health and currently on a private visit to Europe, Reuters wrote.

Biya, in power since 1982, has often spent extended periods abroad.

His most recent public appearance was at the China-Africa forum in Beijing in early September, and he reportedly left Cameroon in July to go to France prior to the China trip. Although Biya’s absences have become routine, they have revived questions about his ability to lead with many Cameroonians worrying about the lack of a clear succession plan, according to Africanews.

Cameroon is grappling with various internal conflicts, including a separatist war in its Anglophone regions and an ongoing insurgency by Islamist group Boko Haram in the north.

Analysts warned that Biya’s eventual passing could lead to instability in a region already struggling with political upheaval – there have been eight coups in West and Central Africa since 2020.

Despite concerns over his health, some political leaders have called on Biya to seek another term in 2025, maintaining a longstanding tradition of support for his candidacy.