Cameroon: Biya makes a public appearance, cutting rumors of his absence
Text by: RFI Follow
After an extended absence of several weeks, Paul Biya made his first public reappearance on Thursday, April 16. It was at the time of an audience granted to the ambassador of France, Christophe Guilhou, accredited in Yaoundé. Hearing event while speculation was rife about the state of health of the Cameroonian president.
Publicity
Read moreWith our correspondent in Yaoundé, Polycarpe Essomba
A mid-afternoon tweet and Paul Biya is back. “ I have just received the Ambassador of France. On the menu of our exchange, the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Cameroon, in France and in the world ”, writes the Cameroonian president.
And to complete convincing the skeptics, a photo, that of the audience between the president and his host, wearing a mask, accompanies the text. The two men are seated a good meter apart.
🇨🇲🇫🇷 I have just received at the Palace of Unity, the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Christophe Guilhou. On the menu for our exchange this afternoon: managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon, France and the world. # PaulBiya # COVID19 # Covid19Cmr # Cameroon pic.twitter.com/5jN7T8Bovt
President Paul BIYA (@PR_Paul_BIYA) April 16, 2020A few hours later, the video of this audience expected by Cameroonians is broadcast on national television. With this little comment from Ambassador Christophe Guilhou on the steps of the presidential palace, " I found him alert, as always ".
The dissemination of these images, photo and video, caused an immediate and unparalleled excitement in social networks. Some rejoicing and almost celebrating to finally have proof of life of the Cameroonian number one . While others, incredulous, continued to maintain that these images proceeded from a rough assembly.
Just the day before this hearing, the case had taken a hell of a political turn. The opponent Maurice Kamto having asked the National Assembly to note the vacancy of power, on the pretext of the silence of Paul Biya.
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