They killed rumour that ‘killed’ Biya!.

Having lastly been seen in public over a month ago, Cameroonians had become worried, raising questions about his whereabouts. The concerns were legit, but the polity was blown into uncertain mood, when rumours buzzed social media claiming the President had died.

Falsified video clips from unknown sources, further worsened what many lacked words to describe. At that level, the quest for answers about the number one citizen of the nation reverberated, both at home and abroad.

But at the close of Tuesday October 8, 2024, some Cameroonians in their different weight and influences dared to hold a contrary view. They came out to reassure Cameroonians in what analysts say were timely and courageous moves that killed the rumour that had ‘killed’ the Head of State.

 Thanks to the various outings, Cameroonians entered Wednesday October 9, ignoring the unfounded reports and going about their activities unperturbed. 

The clouds of doubt and uncertainty, which those who made different outings on Tuesday blamed on people with ulterior motives, have thus become manifestations of the past.

Unlike in June 2004 when the Head of State, Paul Biya, killed such rumours himself, this time around, others rose to the challenge, calming and assuring Cameroonians and the international community that the ship of the State is still being shuddered with all the attention it deserves, by President Paul Biya.

 But who are those who killed the rumour?

Among those who fought against the rumour head on, leading to calm are; the Minister of State Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, also member of the Political Bureau of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM. He is also Communication Secretary of the CPDM Central Committee.

The Minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregoire Owona, also Deputy Secretary General of the CPDM, joined in fighting the rumour.

Others are the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, Rene Emmanuel Sadi. The Minister, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo and the National President of the United Democratic Party, UDP, El Hadj Bochong Aku Lawan Bako, also leader of the Presidential Majority.

Douala-based business mogul, Bony Dashaco, is another prominent personality who condemned the manipulation. 

The Publisher of Municipal Updates newspaper, Cham Victor Bama, was among the first to start debunking the rumours across different social media platforms.

Rumour imagination of fantasy- Rene Sadi 

For Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, those who engaged in spreading rumours were trying to manipulate public opinion. He issued a release in the evening hours of Tuesday October 8, describing the development as “pure fantasy and imagination on the part of the authors”.

Sadi said after the fourth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, FOCAC, President Biya opted to on “a brief private stay in Europe”. He insisted that the Head of State is active wherever he is and is following developments back home keenly.

He appealed to Cameroonians and the international community not to give in to the rumours, which he said are “destabilisations orchestrated by small groups and pernicious for their own hidden ends”. He declared that Biya is alive and in good health.

Biya healthy, working from Geneva- Mvondo Samuel Ayolo

 In a release that seemingly put an end to the speculations and issued at nightfall on Tuesday, the Minister, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, disclosed President Biya’s exact location and state of health.

He wrote that Biya is healthy and active in Geneva, Switzerland; from where he said “…he continues to exercise his duties”. Mvondo Ayolo also said Biya has been in Geneva since he left Beijing, China, on September 8, 2024.

Mvondo Ayolo declared that: “The Civil Cabinet strongly condemns acts that attack freedom of expression with the sole purpose of misleading local and international public opinions”.

Enter Gregoire Owona

Going by Minister Gregoire Owona, on his social media handle, Facebook, “those who attempt in various ways to deceive public opinion by announcing the death of the Head of State of Cameroon must pay a heavy price following such a gross lie”.

‘Take action against impostors’

He lamented that the authors of such rumours, whom he referred to as “impostors,’ will have to face the competent institutions of the Republic, since they no longer have any human conscience, the appropriate institutions must stand up against these impostors, wherever they come from and wherever they broadcast”.

“Meanness, hate have limits”

In further condemnation of what he considered as manipulation, Minister Gregoire Owona said though Cameroon is a democracy, there is a limit to being mean and  hate. “We are in a democracy, but meanness and hate have a limit”.

News totally unfounded- Fame Ndongo 

Minister Fame Ndongo also expressed his outburst on the same matter on social media. He wrote describing the report of what he said is Biya’s supposed death as a strange ploy.

The CPDM Communication Secretary recounted that: "A foreign TV channel announces on this day (Tuesday October 8, 2024), the death of the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya. The news is totally unfounded. This phantasmagorical ploy should not shake the political maturity, lucidity and patriotism of Cameroonians and friends of our dear and beautiful country”.

 He added that: “Universal journalism is based on facts, not elucidations or doltish news. It adheres strictly to the approach inherent in experimental sciences (observation, hypothesis, verification, law) enshrined by Gaston Bachelard, for journalism is an art, a technique and a science".

Minister Mbella Mbella swings into action 

At the level of the Ministry of External Relations, MINREX, every diplomatic pulse was activated to ascertain the origin, veracity of a video clip that also fuelled the rumour.

The Guardian Post has it on good authority that the Minister of External Relations, Mbella Mbella, engaged underground findings to get key details. 

It is reported that Cameroon’s Higher Commissioner to South Africa, Solomon Azoh-Mbi, was among those contacted. A note attributed to the diplomat, also surfaced on social media in which conclusions are made as to the origin and real intention(s) of author (s) of the rumour.

Mbella Mbella and his collaborators are said to have worked diligently to ascertain that the authors of the rumour were out for something bad but failed woefully. Such findings are said to have been used to stabilise and guide government’s communication on the rumour. 

Social media actors enjoy promoting fake news - Lawan Bako

Longtime Biya ally, El Hadj Lawan Bako, simply dismissed the rumoured death, calling on citizens to go about their business unperturbed. “Let it be known that social media actors enjoy promoting fake stories without proof as concerns that of the Head of State’s death which is false,” he stated strongly early on Tuesday. 

He was vehement that: “In view of this fake news, the United Democratic Party UDP, condemns these actors of fake news,” before urging citizens to rather pray for peace, justice and tranquility in Cameroon.

Claims unfounded, dangerously misleading -Bony Dashaco 

For businessman and leading Civil Society leader, Bony Dashaco, it was another failed move to attack Cameroon and its leader, President Paul Biya. He issued a statement reminding citizens that: “In recent days, a disturbing trend has resurfaced in the media landscape-the propagation of fake news concerning the health and wellbeing of prominent figures”. 

Dashaco explained that the attack on Biya were “reports from foreign and malicious media outlets with poorly generated Artificial Intelligence videos, claiming his death,” but stated the claims were “unfounded but also dangerously misleading”.

He told citizens that “…the allegations surrounding President Biya's demise was meant to sparked unnecessary panic and confusion among the populace”.  Dashaco shared the unshaken view that Cameroonians rather “trust and believe in his leadership”.

The businessman remarked that the attempts have failed woefully because “Cameroon is one people, one nation…the dissemination of fake news about President Paul Biya is a grave concern that should be condemned vigorously. We must stand united against misinformation…”.

Malicious, vicious individuals- Cham Victor Bama

In what was the first of outings in the face of the rumour, Cham Victor had blamed the rumour on “malicious and vicious individuals”.

“There is a fake video making rounds on social media space targeting the President of the Republic, Paul Biya. Kindly disregard and desist from sharing it. It is the handiwork of malicious and vicious individuals and groups whose intention is to spark unnecessary tension and sow discord,” Cham wrote and shared widely on social media.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3255 of Thursday October 10, 2024