Amid Speculation, Cameroon Issues Ban on Discussing President Biya’s Health

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, Cameroon – Cameroon's Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji has banned discussions about the health and whereabouts of President Paul Biya on private media airwaves, amid speculations of the health condition of the 91-year-old.

Paul Atanga Nji, said discussing the president’s health was a matter of national security and “any debate in the media about the president’s condition is therefore strictly prohibited”. The 91-year-old leader – in office for more than four decades – has not been seen in public since 8 September, when he attended a China-Africa forum in Beijing.

Atanga Nji, who said offenders would be prosecuted, instructed the governors to set up units to monitor broadcasts on private media channels. The ban also applies to social networks. The Regional heads were also tasked with "identifying" through these cells "the authors of tendentious comments, including those acting through social networks."

In a statement on Thursday, global press freedom organisation the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the Cameroonian government to “end its threats to sanction private media journalists who report on the condition and whereabouts of President Paul Biya”.

“The health of the president, who has been in power for 41 years and may seek re-election next year, is of public interest. Any misguided attempt to censor reporting about his health for national security reasons simply fuels rampant speculation,” Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa Programme, stated. “The Cameroonian government should simply put the rumours to rest by arranging a public appearance by the head of state,” she suggested.

Reacting to the MINAT boss’ statement, Barrister Akere Muna of the Now Movement who recently got the endorsement of 20 political parties and CSOs for President said since the publication of these threats, he has spent a lot of time responding to inquiries from international organizations and human rights activists, who initially thought it was a bad joke.

According to him, these events severely damage Cameroon's image on the global stage, a matter that seems to concern some political leaders very little. Akere Muna lamented a situation where protecting the president's image seems to take precedence over that of the entire country. He regretted that "Cameroonian patriotism" is symptomatic of misplaced priorities among some leaders.

President Paul Biya, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, has ruled Cameroon since 1982. At 91 years old, his age and health have long been the subject of private and public concern. Despite winning a seventh term in office in 2018, Biya's extended stays abroad, particularly in Switzerland for medical treatment, have led to growing speculation about his ability to fulfil the duties of his office.

In recent years, calls for clarity on Biya’s health have increased, with many Cameroonians urging the government to provide transparency on the issue. Some political analysts have warned that continued secrecy surrounding the president’s health could create a political vacuum and intensify tensions in the country, which is already grappling with security challenges in the Anglophone regions and the Far North.

Hon. Jean Michel Nintcheu who is backing MRC’s Prof. Maurice Kamto’s candidacy reminded the MINAT boss that he was neither the Minister of Communication nor the National Communication Council.

"The right to information and freedom of expression are enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic and international legal instruments ratified by Cameroon", he added.

For Nintcheu, “The President of the Republic is a national institution – which therefore belongs to all Cameroonians – and not the personal property of Mr. Atanga Nji. As such, our compatriots have the right to know his whereabouts and his state of health.”

Prince Michael Ngwese Ekosso, Chairman of the USDP, also denounced Minister Atanga Nji’s prohibition of debate in the media about President Paul Biya, arguing that “The President of the Republic is a national institution - which therefore belongs to all Cameroonians - and not the personal assets of Minister Paul Atanga Nji.

He also urged Minister Paul Atanga Nji to focus more on his ministerial responsibilities and prerogatives rather than usurp the roles of the Minister of Communication and the National Communication Council.

“Cameroonians need ministers who are accompanying the President in his agenda for the welfare and effective democratization process of the country and not ministers who are limiting the people's choice and rights,” Prince Ekosso said.