Authorities dismiss rumours of ailing well being as ‘pure fantasy’, arrange ‘monitoring cells’ to trace on-line debate.
Cameroon has banned the media from discussing the well being of 91-year-old President Paul Biya, who has not been seen in public since early September.
Inside Minister Paul Atanga Nji this week imposed the ban, stating in a letter dated October 9 that “debate within the media” on the president’s well being was “strictly prohibited”, and ordering that “monitoring cells” charged with monitoring on-line content material be arrange.
The letter, which was addressed to regional governors and bore a crimson stamp studying “extremely pressing”, stated that discussions on the well being of the nonagenarian president have been “a matter of nationwide safety”, warning that anybody violating the order would “face the complete pressure of the regulation”.
Biya was final seen in public on the China-Africa summit in Beijing a month in the past. Since then, he has not attended gatherings at which he had been anticipated, together with the United Nations Common Meeting in New York or a summit of French-speaking nations in Paris.
Authorities spokesperson Rene Sadi addressed the hypothesis over the president’s well being on Tuesday, claiming that Biya had paid a non-public go to to Europe after Beijing.
“Rumours of every kind have been circulating by the traditional media and social networks concerning the president’s situation,” he stated in an announcement.
“The federal government unequivocally states that these rumours are pure fantasy … and hereby points a proper denial.”
Sadi insisted Biya was “in good well being” and can be returning to Cameroon “within the coming days”.
The ban was criticised as an act of state censorship.
“The president is elected by Cameroonians and it’s simply regular that they fear about his whereabouts,” stated Hycenth Chia, a Yaounde-based journalist and speak present host on privately owned tv Canal 2 Worldwide.
“We see liberal discussions on the well being of [US President] Joe Biden and different world leaders, however right here it’s a taboo,” he instructed the Reuters information company.
The Committee to Defend Journalists (CPJ) stated it was gravely involved.
“Making an attempt to cover behind nationwide safety on such a significant problem of nationwide significance is outrageous,” stated Angela Quintal, head of the CPJ’s Africa programme.
Cameroon’s media regulator, the Nationwide Communication Council, couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
With no clear succession plan, observers consider Biya’s loss of life would convey extra political turmoil to West and Central Africa, which has seen eight coups since 2020 and a number of other different navy makes an attempt to overthrow governments.
Biya has been Cameroon’s president for greater than 41 years. In Africa, his prolonged rule is second solely to 82-year-old Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has held energy in Equatorial Guinea for 45 years.