Jeanne-Irène Biya (12 October 1935 – 29 July 1992) was the former First Lady of Cameroon and the first wife of Paul Biya, who has served as the President of Cameroon since 1982. Jeanne-Irène Biya died in office in Yaoundé at age 56. She was succeeded by Chantal Biya as first lady of Cameroon in 1994.

Biography

Born Jeanne-Irène Atyam Ndoumin, she married Paul Biya on 2 September 1961, in Antony, Paris. She studied at the midwifery school in Nantes and, after her return to Cameroon, worked as a qualified midwife in the Pavillon Baudelocque of the Yaoundé Central Hospital. She was socially committed, particularly to children. Jeanne-Irène Biya died in Yaoundé at the age of 58, when her husband was on a trip in Dakar. Rumors arose in Cameroon that Jeanne-Irène Biya's death had occurred in an unnatural manner, and that he had been out of the country at the time for alibi reasons. It is also speculated that the two nuns of Djoum, who had close relations with Jeanne-Irène Biya, were also assassinated. She is buried in Mvomeka'a, the birthplace of her husband.

Personal life

It is speculated that Jeanne-Irène Biya adopted the illegitimate son that Paul Biya had with her sister or niece when he was four years old. He was named Franck Emmanuel Olivier Biya, and is considered to be the successor to his authoritarian father.