Cameroonian authorities have banned the media from discussing the health of President Paul Biya following rumors of his death.
Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji told regional governors that these stories are “disturbing the peace of Cameroonians.”
“Any debate in the media on the president’s condition is therefore strictly prohibited,” he stressed, threatening that “violators will face the severity of the law.”
The 91-year-old leader – in office for more than four decades – has not been seen in public since September 8, when he attended a China-Africa forum in Beijing.
Several officials have pushed back against speculation about Biya’s condition, stressing that he was in good health and at a private residence in Geneva, Switzerland.
Nji said the president’s health status was a matter of national security and urged governors to set up units to ensure the order was complied with by private media and social media.
Many journalists in the country have said they view the ban as a violation of press freedom.
“By saying that the president’s should not be mentioned [health] situation, I think it is an infringement of our rights,” a Cameroonian journalist told the BBC on condition of anonymity. He added that “it will really affect the way we report because we certainly don’t want to get into trouble with the government.”
The media restrictions have also raised concerns about the safety of journalists in a country where media professionals are regularly targeted by officials and insurgents.
In the past, English-speaking separatists have kidnapped journalists, while the government has arrested and detained members of the media.
“I will continue to report even though I fear they may track me down, because there is no way my report won’t be about the whereabouts of the president or what could happen to him. I will continue to do my job,” said another journalist.
In a statement on Thursday, the global press freedom organisation, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), urged the Cameroonian government to “end its threats to sanction private media journalists reporting on the condition and whereabouts of President Paul Biya ”.
“The health of the president, who has been in power for 41 years and may want to be re-elected next year, is of public interest. “Any misguided attempt to censor coverage of his health for national security reasons only fuels rampant speculation,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program.
“The Cameroonian government should simply put the rumors to rest by organizing a public appearance of the head of state,” she suggested.
As speculation continues over President Biya’s well-being, Cameroonians are eagerly awaiting his return to the country in the coming days as promised by authorities.
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