Cameroonian President Paul Biya returned to the capital, Yaoundé, on Monday after spending several weeks abroad, amid widespread rumors about his health.
State broadcaster CRTV aired footage of the 91-year-old leader arriving at Yaoundé’s international airport, where he was seen shaking hands with officials alongside his wife, Chantal, as jubilant crowds awaited his return.
Supporters, dressed in outfits adorned with his portrait, gathered to chant and drum along the roads as his motorcade made its way from the airport to the presidential palace. CRTV dedicated a special program to his homecoming.
Speculation about Biya’s health had been mounting since his departure from public view in early September, following a China-Africa cooperation summit in Beijing.
“Today, the president is on his way, and this will put an end to all the speculation,” a CRTV presenter announced, as the plane carrying Biya landed.
Flight tracking data confirmed that a Boeing with registration CMR001, which had previously transported Biya, departed from Geneva on Monday morning. Official sources stated that he had been staying in the Swiss city for several weeks.
In Yaoundé, large posters welcoming Biya back were displayed throughout the city. One billboard read, “Welcome home, Mr. President of the Republic,” as reported by an AFP journalist on the scene.
Earlier, on October 8, the government had released a statement in response to persistent rumors about Biya’s condition, assuring the public that he would soon return. Local media were also formally banned from discussing the state of his health. Biya had missed both the United Nations General Assembly in New York and a summit for French-speaking nations in Paris during his absence.