Media Banned In Cameroon From Reporting About President Biya’s Health

Cameroon has banned the media from reporting on the health of 91-year-old President Paul Biya, who has not made a public appearance since early September.

This week, Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji enforced the ban, stating in an October 9 letter that any media discussion regarding the president’s health is “strictly prohibited.” He also ordered the establishment of “monitoring cells” to oversee online content.

The letter, marked “highly urgent” and sent to regional governors, declared that conversations about the health of the elderly president are “a matter of national security,” and warned that anyone who disobeys the order would “face the full force of the law.”

Biya was last seen publicly at the China-Africa summit in Beijing a month ago. Since then, he has missed several expected events, including the United Nations General Assembly in New York and a summit of French-speaking nations in Paris.

Government spokesperson Rene Sadi addressed the rumors regarding the president’s health on Tuesday, asserting that Biya had taken a private trip to Europe following his visit to Beijing.

He noted that “various rumors” have been circulating in both traditional media and social networks about the president’s condition.