Cameroon’s political tension rose Tuesday as opposition parties rejected official results confirming 92-year-old President Paul Biya’s re-election, extending his more than four-decade rule. The dispute comes amid deadly protests and mounting criticism from rights groups over alleged electoral fraud and government repression.
The Constitutional Council on Monday declared Biya the winner of the October 12 presidential election, securing 53.66% of the vote against his main challenger, former ally Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who garnered 35.19%. The council said the outcome was final and not subject to appeal.
Protests began suddenly even before the official declaration, after Tchiroma claimed victory while votes were still being counted. Demonstrations spread from Yaoundé to opposition strongholds in Douala and Garoua, where security forces reportedly opened fire on crowds. At least four people have been killed and hundreds detained.
International bodies condemned the crackdown. The European Union said it was “deeply concerned” by what it described as “violent repression” during the October 26–27 demonstrations. The United Nations urged restraint, while Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International accused Cameroonian forces of using excessive force and called for an independent investigation.
Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji told reporters that protesters had “wreaked havoc” in several towns and that “some of the criminals lost their lives,” adding that security officers were also injured. He offered no further details.
Biya, addressing the unrest after his victory was declared, extended condolences to families of those who “unnecessarily lost their lives” in the post-election chaos.
Opposition leaders have dismissed the results, alleging manipulation and irregularities, according to AP’s report. Tchiroma accused the Constitutional Council of presenting “truncated results” and granting Biya a “fictitious victory.” Another candidate, Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, who placed fifth, said the declared outcome “does not reflect the sovereign will of the people,” pointing to “irregularities, manipulation and repeated violations of the law.”
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Local civil society groups documented electoral flaws, including dead voters on registers and ballot box-stuffing, though the African Union’s observer mission maintained the polls were conducted “largely in accordance with international standards.”
Under Cameroon’s constitution, Biya is expected to be sworn in within 15 days of the results. Having ruled since 1982, he remains one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state.
Despite its oil wealth, Cameroon’s economic gains remain concentrated among elites. According to World Bank figures, the unemployment rate stands at 3.5%, but more than half of young workers aged 18 to 35 are trapped in informal jobs, a reality fueling discontent among the nation’s youth.
READ ALSO: Tensions rise in Cameroon as ruling party office torched amid disputed election
