Cameroon’s government has imposed a ban on media discussions concerning the health of President Paul Biya. The 91-year-old President has not been seen in public since early September 2024, leading to widespread concerns, speculation, and alarming rumors.
“Any debate on the president’s health is now strictly prohibited,” announced Paul Atanga Nji, Minister of Territorial Administration, in a statement issued on Thursday, October 10. This decision has swiftly sparked reactions from both the media and political spheres.
Minister Atanga Nji, who signed the statement, emphasized that “discussions about the health of the President of the Republic are a matter of national security.” As a result, he instructed provincial governors to establish monitoring teams tasked with tracking and recording all media broadcasts and debates. These teams are also charged with identifying individuals responsible for what the government deems “biased comments.”
In many of Cameroon’s television and radio newsrooms, the announcement was met with surprise and concern. Boney Philippe, director of Vision 4 and host of the Sunday debate show, Club d’élites, expressed his unease about the ban, calling it a significant blow to both freedom of expression and democracy. While he had initially planned to host a discussion on the topic during the upcoming Sunday show, Philippe acknowledged that he would now need to adjust his program in light of the government’s directive.