Cameroon reaffirms that the president is in good health despite his prolonged absence.

Cameroon reaffirms that the president is in good h
ealth despite his prolonged absence.

Cameroon's president is in "excellent" health, senior officials have asserted following his extended public absence, which has fueled widespread speculation about the condition of the 91-year-old leader.

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President Paul Biya has not been seen in public since September 8, when he attended a China-Africa forum in Beijing. Since then, he has missed several scheduled events, including the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement, the head of Cameroon's civil cabinet confirmed Biya's good health and criticized "mischievous individuals" spreading rumors about the president's health and possible death.

The statement followed days of pressure from opposition parties and civil society groups seeking information about Biya's health and whereabouts.

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"The head of state continues to fulfill his duties in Geneva and has not left the city since his visit to Beijing," said Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, director of the civil cabinet, on Wednesday evening.

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Biya has faced criticism for the amount of time he spends abroad, particularly in Switzerland. A 2018 report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) indicated that since taking office in 1982, Biya has spent the equivalent of four-and-a-half years on overseas trips, with the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva reportedly being his preferred location.

In a separate statement, government spokesperson René Sadi mentioned that Biya would return to Cameroon "in the next few days" and dismissed claims about the president's declining health as "pure fantasy."

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After 42 years in power, Biya is one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. His tenure has seen Cameroon transition from a one-party state to a multi-party system, but it has also been marred by endemic corruption and a rollback of democratic gains, including the removal of presidential term limits in 2008. Additionally, the country is currently grappling with a secessionist conflict in the west, which has claimed more than 6,000 lives.