Cameroon citizens want proof their 91-year-old president is alive

Biya was last seen in Beijing over a month ago during a China-Africa leaders forum. In the meantime, some citizens said they do not believe Biya is alive.

One of those is Gloria Wirkom, a businessperson in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde.

"He is our president, and if there is something wrong with him, we have the right to know," she said. "So we are pleading with the government of Cameroon to let us know the health state [state of health] of our president."

Wirkom said she does not trust government officials' declarations that Biya is in good health. Wirkom said she will believe Biya is alive only when she sees him.

On Cameroon State TV, government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi said he unequivocally affirms that the rumors of Biya’s death are pure imagination.

Sadi said the day after the China-Africa summit, Biya stayed briefly in Europe, and that wherever he might be, Biya is attentive to the well-being of Cameroonians.

Akongnwi Neba, a merchant, said it is wrong for the government to wait until a rumor spreads before explaining where Biya is.

"We are asking the government to prove to us where he [Biya] is," said Neba. "We need to know his whereabouts, whether he is alive or dead. It is our right as citizens of the country to know where our president is."

Cameroon officials have not said whether Biya will appear in public in Geneva. VOA could not independently confirm whether Biya was in the Swiss city.

Biya is the oldest leader in the world. He has ruled Cameroon for more than four decades, and his supporters have been holding public rallies asking him to be a candidate in elections expected in October 2025. Biya has not said whether he will run for president again.