Cameroon is buzzing with rumors about Paul Biya. The Cameroonian president, aged 91, was not at the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York at the end of September, nor in the wake of the summit of the International Organization of the Francophonie in Villers-Cotterêts, nor even at the final of the Cameroon Cup, which marks the end of the sporting season in the country, played ten days ago. The nonagenarian has not been seen in public since the China-Africa summit in early September.
Rumors about his state of health
These notable absences fueled numerous rumors about the state of health of the oldest elected leader in office, sometimes nicknamed the “father of the continent”. Last week, Christian Ntimbane, lawyer and declared candidate for the 2025 presidential election, challenged the director of the president’s civil office in an open letter: “The people have the right to know if the President of the Republic is still able to assume his heavy and delicate mission”he demanded.
These rumors culminated on Tuesday October 8 with the broadcast of a video by a private television channel Africa Broadcasting Service, based in Houston in the United States claiming that the head of state was dead. An announcement made by the channel’s star presenter, an English-speaking separatist leader, at a time when a secessionist rebellion is raging in two provinces of Cameroon, raising the specter of national dissension.
“He goes about his business in Geneva”
After long weeks of silence, the Cameroonian government reacted to put an end to speculation. The Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, René Sadi, denounced “fantasy and pure imagination”. “The head of state granted himself a brief stay in Europehe assured, but he remains as usual, and wherever he is, attentive to the evolution of national life.”
In a press release, the presidency also reassured “the excellent state of health of the head of state who works and goes about his business in Geneva where he has never left since his arrival from Beijing”. “In any case, the Head of State is doing well and will return to Cameroon in the coming days”the text continues. Comments repeated on the front pages of the Cameroonian media on Wednesday, as concern grew among the population.
The strong men of the president’s party, the Cameroonian People’s Democratic Rally (RDPC), also stepped up to the plate. “ We do not announce the death of a head of state without making sure what is happening, without even having learned beforehand that he was ill. launched the deputy secretary general of the party, Grégoire Owona, on the airwaves of RFI, evoking potential “sanctions against those who disclose false information”. “This is the kind of news that can create any kind of disorder to public order”at-il having you.
The fog of succession
Because behind the scenes there is the question of the succession of the man who has been at the head of Cameroon for forty-one years. While Paul Biya has not held a council of ministers for years, the country is de facto led by the secretary general of the presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, who benefits from a permanent delegation of signature from the head of state. His wife, Chantal Biya, also plays a role as “regent”.
Sons, nephews, relatives… several crowd at the gate but no successor has been formally designated for the moment. A new presidential election is due to be held in October 2025 in Cameroon.
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