New Delhi: Cameroon’s President Paul Biya made a public appearance Thursday after being inconspicuously absent for the past 35 days, putting speculations about his death on social media to a rest. This was reportedly his first appearance since 11 March.
Biya has been criticised on social media for his silence on the coronavirus pandemic even though Cameroon is one of the worst-affected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with 996 cases and over 20 deaths.
He posted a picture on Twitter with French Ambassador to the country Christophe Guilhou, who he met to discuss “managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon, France and around the world”.
???? Je viens de recevoir au Palais de l’Unité, l’Ambassadeur de France au Cameroun, Christophe Guilhou. Au menu de notre échange de cet après-midi: la gestion de la pandémie COVID-19 au Cameroun, en France et dans le monde.#PaulBiya#COVID19#Covid19Cmr#Cameroun pic.twitter.com/5jN7T8Bovt
— President Paul BIYA (@PR_Paul_BIYA) April 16, 2020
On 11 March, Biya had welcomed US Ambassador to Cameroon, S.E. Peter Barlerin.
???? L’ambassadeur des USA au #Cameroun, S.E. Peter Barlerin et moi, avons discuté ce jour au Palais de l’Unité des sujets d’intérêt commun, notamment la santé et la situation dans le Nord-Ouest et le Sud-Ouest.#PaulBiya pic.twitter.com/kM45olFDlo
— President Paul BIYA (@PR_Paul_BIYA) March 11, 2020
Since then, he has only made written statements and posted decrees signed by him as President to contain the spread of Covid-19. He has not addressed the public even once since the country was infected by the virus.
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Absence unacceptable
Biya’s tweet with the French ambassador came a day after opposition leader and Biya’s chief political rival Maurice Kamto said that he had requested the Speaker and Bureau of the National Assembly to initiate the process for establishing a power vacancy at the Presidency. He added that such a prolonged absence at a crucial time was unacceptable.
Kamto was referring to a provision in Cameroon’s constitution, which mandates that voting must begin within 40 days of a president’s death, resignation or “permanent incapacity.”
Speaking to the Washington Post, Kamto said, “Cameroonians are expecting him to address the nation, to tell them exactly what is going on, to share his vision. Whether that photo is real? Authentic? I don’t know.”
“During this pandemic, every single country in the world needs to hear from their head of state,” Kamto added.
In light of the President’s absence, various ministers have instead taken the lead to tackle the pandemic.
Cameroon has taken several measure to contain the virus — airports have been shut down while schools and places of worship have also been shuttered.
After Biya’s tweet, many took to social media and demanded that he address the nation on the Covid-19 outbreak and also called his silence criminal.
Un silence criminel
— Rain Ghost (@RainGhost5) April 16, 2020
Biya is the second-longest serving president in Africa. He assumed office in 1982 amid allegations of military brutality and rigged elections and is known for taking long breaks from office. According to a report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, an international group of investigative journalists, Biya spent a third of his time overseas in 2006 and 2009.
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