By 
CAMEROON – The government of Cameroon has denied rumours of President Paul Biya’s death, which circulated after his prolonged absence from the public eye.
The speculation, fueled by claims that the 91-year-old leader had been hospitalized at the Percy military hospital in Clamart, France, reached new heights when South African television station ABS Africa TV falsely reported his death on Tuesday, October 8.
Government spokesperson and Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, swiftly moved to quash the rumours.
Speaking on national radio, Sadi confirmed that President Biya was alive and well, dismissing the unfounded reports as malicious.
Similarly, Cameroon’s ambassador to France, André Magnus Ekoumou, added clarity to the situation.
Contacted by Jeune Afrique on October 8, Ekoumou stated that Biya had never been hospitalized in Clamart or anywhere in France.
He disclosed that the president was currently in Geneva, Switzerland, and assured the public that Biya remained in good health.
The wave of speculation gained momentum on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where users engaged with reports of the president’s supposed illness and death.
However, Cameroonian officials have urged the public to dismiss these false claims.
Paul Biya: A leader of decades.
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Born on February 13, 1933, in Mvomeka’a, French Cameroon (now Cameroon), Paul Biya has led the central African nation since 1982, making him one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state.
His political career began long before his presidency, with Biya serving as Cameroon’s Prime Minister from 1975 to 1982 under President Ahmadou Ahidjo.
When Ahidjo unexpectedly resigned in November 1982, Biya, then Prime Minister, assumed the presidency as the constitutional successor.
His leadership has been marked by significant political and social changes.
Initially seen as a proponent of democratic reforms, Biya’s stance shifted after a failed coup attempt in 1984, leading to a consolidation of power by his party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).
Despite mounting pressure from both domestic and international actors, Biya eventually implemented limited democratic reforms in the 1990s, including the introduction of multiparty elections.
Cameroon held its first multiparty elections in 1992, with Biya winning re-election that year and again in 1997, 2004, 2011, and 2018.
Although Biya’s presidency had been characterized by long-term political stability, critics have accused his government of authoritarianism, with his extended rule often raising concerns about the state of democracy in Cameroon.
Personal life and education
Biya’s early education took place in seminary schools before he moved to Lycée Général Leclerc in Yaoundé, where he graduated in 1956.
He pursued higher education in France, studying political science and law, before returning to Cameroon after the country gained independence in 1960.
Biya was married to Jeanne-Irène Atyam, who passed away in 1992. He later remarried in 1994 to Chantal Vigouroux, with whom he has three children.
As a political leader, Biya has held a variety of government posts throughout the 1960s and 1970s, rising to prominence under President Ahidjo’s administration before taking over as Head of State in 1982.
His presidency has seen both significant political challenges and successes, shaping Cameroon’s modern trajectory over more than four decades.
Despite his advanced age and recurring rumors about his health, Biya remained a central figure in Cameroonian politics, commanding both respect and criticism at home and abroad.
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