YAOUNDE— Cameroonian President Paul Biya is officially the world’s oldest head of state after Sept 8.
The ‘post’ was automatically conferred on the 89-year-old following the death of the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II on the same day.
Buckingham Palace announced that the queen died peacefully at Balmoral in Scotland at the age of 96.
Paul Biya will not be left out of world leaders condoling with the Royal family over the passage of the Monarch who ascended to the throne at age 25 and reigned for seven decades.
“The death of Her Majesty Elizabeth II is felt painfully and affects the Commonwealth of Nations. She had a unique stature and played an emblematic role throughout history,” Biya’s tweet read.
The 89-year-old has been President of the Central African country for the last 40 years and counting.
Before becoming president, he had served as Prime Minister for seven years to the country’s first president Amadou Ahidjo.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK