Is Paul Biya dead? – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

Paul Biya ruled Cameroon for 42 years, and is one of the longest-serving current heads of state. There is a lack of democracy under his leadership, and the controversial man has been in complete control of the central African country.

More than half of the people of Cameroon have never had a president other than Paul Biya. Therefore he is EnoThere will be unrest in Cameroon if Biya is indeed dead, as rumors say.

– Warning the media against writing about the topic

What happened last Sunday did not alleviate these rumors. At an airport outside the capital, Yaoundé, members of the ruling party and various youth groups gathered to welcome the president.

The party at the airport was planned very discreetly. When everything was canceled a few hours later, the cancellation happened with the same secrecy. Why everything was cancelled, there are no clear answers.

The media in Cameroon is prohibited from writing about rumours. Home Affairs Minister Paul Atanga Njie announced on October 9 that any controversy surrounding the president's health threatens peace in the country.

In a letter sent to the country's governors, it was threatened that anyone who participates in the debate about the president's health will face the long arm of the law.

Important policies are suspended

This is not the first time that the president has suddenly been absent for a long period. He always came back by.

The Cameroonian government denies the president's death and has disputed the rumours.

– The head of state allowed himself a short private stay in Europe. But, as usual, regardless of who he is, he remains attentive to the development of the nation’s life, said Information Minister Rene Saadi, according to a press release issued a week ago.

But now Pia has been gone for so long that it's hard to call her that “A short stay in Europe”, and A number of political crises began to press.

Processing the national budget takes time due to the lack of a president, writes Africa Report. The country is also said to have faced difficulties in obtaining government loans, because several international institutions have halted operations pending clarification.

Not sure who will come after Pia

The rumors raise questions about who will eventually take over from Pia. Although his official age is 91, no heir has ever been groomed. However, he is not an heir known to the public.

Son Frank Biya was mentioned, but he never showed particular political ambitions. The second number on the ladder in Cameroon is Senate leader Marcel Niat Njifenji, but he is 89 years old and has been sicker than the president recently.

So, there's a wave of unanswered questions emerging as the rumor of Pia's death grows stronger. It has been more than a month since his last public appearance, during the Africa-China summit at the beginning of September.

• Has Pia now been secretly admitted to a hospital outside Paris?
• Or is he staying at the five-star hotel he frequently resorts to in Geneva?
• Or is he already dead?

There are very few Cameroonians who can provide reliable answers to these questions. The Cameroonian government says the president is in “good health” and said he will return to Cameroon “very soon.”

But many do not believe this, and believe that the many small signs are evidence that the president is already dead – or at least seriously ill.

Fear of conflict

If the president is indeed dead, one important reason behind all this secrecy may be the fear of internal power struggle and strife at the top levels in Cameroon. Democratic activist The island The interviewee was not generous in his portrayal of Cameroon's senior leadership.

Cameroon is an opaque cesspool, where even key players cannot understand and maneuver the system, says Kathleen Ndongmo.

Experts expect a potential conflict that could expand if competing factions emerge.

– Ndongmo says the post-Biya era will not be beautiful if one faction is not the clear winner.

Although there is a fear of conflict and brutal power struggles, the various power structures in Cameroon are distributed among the country's many ethnic groups. Therefore, the risk of major conflict is lower.

However, many parts of the country are characterized by a high level of conflict, and a crisis in the apparatus of power can quickly lead to serious consequences for the army's ability to operate in these areas.