Cameroon’s 91-year-old president, Paul Biya, returned to the country on Monday after a 42-day absence that raised questions about his health and whereabouts.
The chartered plane carrying Biya and his wife, Chantal Biya, from Geneva landed at Nsimalen International Airport in the capital, Yaoundé, shortly before 5 p.m. (1700 WAT).
On the tarmac, Biya was greeted by his secretary general, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, with whom he chatted briefly before entering his car. Although the nonagenarian head of state did not address the public, he waved at supporters through the back window of his motorcade as it departed the airport.
Biya’s extended absence fuelled widespread speculation about his health, prompting authorities to release statements asserting that the president was in good health. Cameroon later prohibited any discussion regarding his health, stating it was a matter of national security.
Thousands of supporters from the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party lined the 22-km (13 miles) route from the airport to the Etoudi presidential palace, dressed in fabrics bearing Biya’s image. Onlookers also gathered in the streets to confirm for themselves that the head of state was still alive.
In addition to billboards welcoming the president back home and wishing him well, supporters carried banners, one of which read: “Long life to His Excellency Paul Biya, father of the nation.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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