President Paul Biya Alive and Well Amidst Persistent Rumors
By Ibrahim Umar,
Kanempress News,
8th, October,2024
Government sources in Yaoundé have confirmed that President Paul Biya, 91, is alive and in good health, dispelling the latest rumors about his death. Biya, who has been President of Cameroon since November 1982 following President Ahmadou Ahidjo’s unexpected resignation, is currently on vacation in Geneva.
Born Paul Barthélemy Biya’a bi Mvondo on February 13, 1933, Biya served as Prime Minister from 1975 to 1982 under Ahidjo. He is the second-longest-ruling President in Africa, after Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, and the longest consecutively serving non-royal national leader in the world, as well as the world’s oldest Head of State.
A source in Yaoundé stated, “No, he is not dead. These rumors are persistent and occur regularly these days. He is on vacation in Geneva, no doubt about that. If you are in Geneva, he is at the Intercontinental Hotel. At 91, one cannot rule out some health issues once in a while. But as we speak, he is alive and well.”
Biya, Cameroon’s second President since its independence from France 64 years ago, solidified his authority after eliminating major rivals in a 1983 coup attempt, reportedly supported by Ahidjo. Biya put Ahidjo on trial in absentia. Another coup attempt in 1984 allowed Biya to further consolidate his power by eliminating more Ahidjo loyalists. Although he spends long periods abroad, often termed vacations, it is widely understood that these are times to attend to his fragile health.
Previously, Biya favored the South of France for his vacations until increasing disagreements with new power holders in France strained relations with many African leaders of French-speaking countries.
Biya, representing the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, is the front-runner in the presidential election scheduled for February 2025. He will be 92 if the election is held on or after February 13. Other candidates include Eric Essono Tsimi of Nous Sommes Le Changement (We Are the Change), an academic and writer based in New York, and Maurice Kamto, 71, a retired academic and lawyer from the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon. Kamto, who ran against Biya in 2018, is supported by the Alliance Politique pour le Changement (APC) and the Front for Change in Cameroon (FCC).
