Following several speculations regarding the health of President Paul Biya, the Cameroonian government firmly rejected the “tendentious comments” and, in a statement, assured that the head of state “is doing well and will return to Cameroon within days to come.”
The government thus declared unequivocally that the information circulating on social networks and the media about the state of health of the president “are only fantasies and inventions of their authors.” It is also specified that “the head of state is in good health and will return to Cameroon very soon,” according to the terms of the press release from the government spokesperson.
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Furthermore, the presidency also wanted to reassure “the excellent state of health of the President, who continues to exercise his functions in Geneva, from where he has not moved since his return from Beijing.”
In recent days, the president’s prolonged absence from the public scene, since his departure from Beijing at the beginning of September after the summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC), had raised many questions. President Paul Biya did not attend the last UN General Assembly in New York nor the recent Francophonie summit in Paris.
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Certain rumors, going so far as to announce his death, had been relayed by the media in several countries. Last week, Christian Ntimbane, lawyer and declared candidate for the 2025 presidential election, sent an open letter to the president’s civilian chief of staff, demanding clarification on “his spatial situation” and on the reasons for his “prolonged absence.”
Aged 91, Paul Biya is the oldest elected head of state in office and has ruled Cameroon for more than 41 years. Speculation about his health is frequent, especially since he now only appears during rare television speeches, often recorded and delivered with difficulty, or in photos and videos of family celebrations alongside his wife Chantal.
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His opponents accuse him of governing remotely, from his native village of Mvomékaa, located in the south of the country, or from Geneva, while Cameroon faces major security, economic and social challenges.
