Biya suffers malaise in Equatorial Guinea

Yaounde--Cameroon's President Paul Biya suffered a malaise on Wednesday in Equatorial Guinea while attending a summit of central African leaders, his office said on Thursday.

"The president of the republic, Mr. Paul Biya, suffered a stomach ache while participating at a summit of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)," according to the statement signed by Presidency Secretary-General Jean-Marie Atangana Mebara.

"He was taken care of by a medical team comprising of his doctors and doctors of the republic of Equatorial Guinea," the statement went on to say, adding that Biya later "granted audience to the presidents of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe".

It is the first time the authorities have officially declared 73-year-old Biya ill since he took office more than two decades ago, in 1982.

Pius Njawe, a journalist and publisher of "Le Messager", one of Cameroon's most authoritative newspapers, faced a two year prison sentence when he reported in 1998 that Biya had suffered a malaise during the country's national soccer finals.

Also during this week's CEMAC summit - gathering Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe - Chad President Idriss Deby left a day early following what his government said was an attempted coup.