Di Cameroonian authorities don ban di media make dem no discuss di health of President Paul Biya, following rumours of im death.
Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji bin tell regional govnors say dis stories “disturb di tranquillity of Cameroonians”.
“Any debate in di media about di president condition therefore dey strictly prohibited,” e bin insist, come threaten say “offenders go face di rigour of di law.”
Dem never take eye see di 91-year-old leader – wey don dey in office for more dan four decades – for public since 8 September, wen e bin attend one China-Africa forum for Beijing.
Some officials don push back against speculation around Biya condition, insist say e dey good health and on one private stay for Geneva, Switzerland.
Nji bin tok say di health status of di president na matter of national security and urge governors to create units to make sure say di order dey followed by private media outlets and social media.
Many journalists for di kontri say dem consider di ban as violation of press freedom.
“By saying make dem no no dey mention di president [health] situation, I find am as infringement on our rights,” one Cameroonian journalist tell BBC on condition of anonymity. E bin add say, “e go really affect di way we report sake of say we go certainly no wan run into trouble wit govment.”
Di media restrictions don also raise concerns about di safety of journalists for kontri wia media professionals dey regularly targeted by officials and insurgent groups.
For di past, Anglophone separatists don kidnap journalists while di govment don arrest and detain members of di media.
“I go continue to report even though I fear say dem fit track me down, sake of say no way my report no go tok about di president whereabouts or wetin fit dey happun to am. I go continue to do my job,” anoda journalist tok.
For one statement on Thursday, global press freedom organisation di Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) bin ask di Cameroonian govment to “end im threats to sanction private media journalists wey report on di condition and whereabouts of President Paul Biya”.
“Di health of di president, wey don dey power for 41 years and fit seek re-election next year, na of public interest. Any misguided attempt to censor reporting about im health for national security reasons simply dey ginger tok tok,” Angela Quintal, head of CPJ Africa Programme tok.
“Di Cameroonian govment fit simply put di rumours to rest by arranging one public appearance by di head of state,” she bin suggest.
As tori about di wellbeing of President Biya continue, Cameroonians dey highly wait im return to di kontri for di coming days, as di authorities promise.
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