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Paul Biya: Absence of Cameroon's president fuels speculation about his health

BBC
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Speculation over the wellbeing and whereabouts of Cameroon ’s 91-year-old President Paul Biya has become a hot topic across Africa this week .

The rumour mill went into overdrive as he had not been seen in public for about a month .

Biya is Africa 's oldest head of state and the second longest-serving president.

He is a habitual non-attendee at many gatherings of African leaders.

Biya has continued to take the key sensitive political and strategic decisions.

The main gatekeeper to the heart of power at the Étoudi presidential palace is Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh .

But some of the senior regime figures most frequently tipped, such as Laurent Esso and René Sadi , are by now themselves far from youthful.

Support groups have appeared to promote a passing of the torch to the president’s elder son Franck Biya .