Cameroonian authorities have banned the media from talking about the health of President Paul Biya, following rumors that he has died.
Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji told regional governors that the news “disturbed the peace of Cameroonians”.
“Therefore, any debate in the media about the president’s status is absolutely prohibited,” he stressed, threatening that “lawmakers will face legal difficulties.”
The 91-year-old leader – who has been in office for more than four decades – has not been seen in public since September 8, when he attended a China-Africa summit in Beijing.
Many officials have refrained from speculating on Biya’s condition, insisting that he is in good health and living privately in Geneva, Switzerland.
Nji said the health condition of the president is about national security and urged the governors to create structures to ensure that the order is followed by independent media and social media.
Many journalists in the country said that they consider this ban as a violation of press freedom.
“Having said that, it should not be said about the president [health] situation, I find it a violation of our rights,” a Cameroonian journalist told the BBC on condition of anonymity. He added that “it will greatly disrupt the way we report because we don’t want to get into trouble with the government.”
Media restrictions have also raised concerns about the safety of journalists in a country where journalists are regularly attacked by officials and rebel groups.
In the past, Anglophone intellectuals have kidnapped journalists while the government has arrested and jailed the media.
“I will continue to report even though I am afraid that they may search for me because there is no way that my report will not talk about where the president is and what might happen to him. I will continue to do my job,” said another journalist.
In a statement on Thursday, the international press freedom organization, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Cameroonian government to “end threats to punish independent journalists who report on the situation and whereabouts of President Paul Biya”.
“The life of the president who has been in power for 41 years and may be re-elected next year is important to the society. “Any misguided attempts to check reporting on his life for reasons of national security only fuel speculation,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa Program.
“The government of Cameroon should put an end to the rumors by organizing a public appearance of the head of state,” he suggested.
As speculation about the welfare of president Biya continues, Cameroonians are eagerly awaiting his return to the country in the coming days, as promised by the authorities.
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