On Thursday, October 17, religious denominations in Cameroon will hold an ecumenical service in which they will pray for President Paul Biya, who has been absent from public view for over a month.
According to a press statement signed by Henri Eyebe Ayissi, Minister of Land Tenure, the prayer service “For the president of the Republic and for peace in Cameroon” is an initiative of the Collective of Former Students of Catholic Seminaries of Cameroon (CASEMCA) in association with the Catholic Men’s Association (CMA), the Catholic Union of Men, Sons of Saint Joseph, and other Christians and Muslim Communities and their related religious associations.
“This ecumenical ceremony, open to the public, will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2024, starting at 2 p.m. promt. at the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Palace, with the participation of religious dignitaries, high public and private figures, and citizens from all walks of life,” the Minister, who doubles as Vice President for the interreligious service, said.
Church leaders are planning to pray for President Paul Biya, over forty days after he left the country.
Biya’s Whereabouts Unknown
The prayer service is coming amid calls from Cameroonians who want to know whether all is well with President Biya.
The last time he was seen was on September 8, when he left China after attending the China-Africa Summit.
Since then, there have been rumors that he is unwell owing to his long absence from the public and inability to attend the La Francophonie summit in France in October 4-8.
However, several ministers have come with statements clarifying that Biya is well and that he is in Geneva, Switzerland, but none have shown video proof of him.
The situation even escalated to the extent that the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, banned the media from talking about Biya’s Health.
