President Paul Biya’s Absence Fuels Death Rumours

Prolonged absence of the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya has fueled rumours that he has passed on in a military hospital in France.

The rumours followed Biya’s extended absence after the China-Africa Summit in September as he was billed to return to the country immediately after the summit.

Biya 91, who has been president for 42 years as he assumed office on November 6, 1982, remains Africa’s second longest-serving president, the longest-serving non-royal national leader globally, and the oldest head of state.

Further rumours have it that France is attempting to install his eldest son, Franck Emmanuel Biya as his successor, for “continuity”.

In a post on X, a Cameroonian citizen, @Okahewahedede wrote, “Paul Biya ruled Cameroon for 42 years and almost destroyed the country. Now he is dead and France is doing everything possible to make his eldest son, Franck Emmanuel Biya, his successor.”

Another Cameroonian, @jordanly00, said, “This is nothing new, he hasn’t been running the country for a while.

“These neocolonial successors have already started to wage the war of succession…they are only waiting for the last wish of the great Biya ‘To die in power’ as he had already predicted this year 2024.

As speculation swirls, the government’s silence continues to fuel public uncertainty about Cameroon’s political future.