Cameroonian authorities have banned media from discussing the health of President Paul Biya following rumors of his death.

Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji told regional governors that these stories “disturb the tranquility of Cameroonians.”

“Any media debate on the state of the president is therefore strictly prohibited,” he insisted, threatening that “offenders will be faced with the rigor of the law.”

The 91-year-old leader – in office for more than four decades – has not been seen in public since September 8, when he attended a China-Africa forum in Beijing.

Several officials pushed back on speculation about Biya’s health, insisting he was in good health and on a private trip to Geneva, Switzerland.

Nji said the president’s health was a matter of national security and urged governors to create units to ensure the order was followed by private media and social media.

Many of the country’s journalists said they viewed the ban as a violation of press freedom.

“By saying that we should not mention the president’s (health) situation, I consider that this infringes on our rights,” a Cameroonian journalist told the BBC on condition of anonymity. He added that “this is really going to affect the way we report, because we certainly won’t want to have any problems with the government.”

Restrictions on media have also raised concerns about the safety of journalists in a country where media workers are regularly targeted by authorities and insurgent groups.

In the past, Anglophone separatists have kidnapped journalists while the government has arrested and detained members of the media.

“I will continue to do my report even though I am afraid that they might find me, because there is no way that my report will not talk about where the president is or what might happen to him. I will continue to do my job,” said another journalist.

In a statement released Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a global press freedom organization, urged the Cameroonian government to “end its threats of sanctions against private media journalists who cover the state and location of President Paul Biya.

“The health of the president, who has been in power for 41 years and could be re-elected next year, is of public interest. Any misguided attempt to censor reporting on his health for reasons of national security only fuels rampant speculation,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program director.

“The Cameroonian government should simply put an end to the rumors by organizing a public appearance by the head of state,” she suggested.

As speculation about President Biya’s state of health continues, Cameroonians eagerly await his return to the country in the coming days, as promised by the authorities.