Cameroon has banned all discussion of the health of 91-year-old President Paul Biya after Biya's prolonged absence fueled widespread speculation that he is not in good condition, Reuters reported, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Earlier this week, authorities released statements saying the president was on a private visit to Geneva and was in good health, dismissing reports he had fallen ill as "pure fantasy".
In a letter to regional governors dated October 9, Home Affairs Minister Paul Atanga Njie said discussing the president's health is a matter of national security.
From that moment on, "all media discussion of the president's condition is strictly prohibited. Violators will be brought to justice," Nji said.
He ordered local authorities to assemble teams to monitor private media as well as social networks.
Cameroon, which has had only two presidents since independence from France and Britain in the 1960s, is likely to plunge into deep crisis if Biya becomes too ill to remain in power or dies , notes Reuters.
The national media regulator has not yet commented on the topic.
The decision was criticized as imposing censorship.
"The president was elected by the citizens of Cameroon and it is normal for them to worry about his condition," said a journalist from the capital Yaounde.