Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has announced that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over allegations of inciting violent post-election demonstrations. The unrest follows the October 12 election in which 92-year-old President Paul Biya secured an eighth consecutive term, garnering 53.7% of the vote compared to Tchiroma Bakary's 35.2%, according to the Constitutional Council. The protests have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals amid clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Tchiroma Bakary insists he is the rightful election winner, a claim categorically denied by Biya's ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).
The international community has expressed alarm over the violent responses by security personnel, with organizations like the UN, African Union, and EU urging for calm. On Tuesday, Nji accused Tchiroma Bakary of organizing illegal protests that led to fatalities, further stating that those involved in the so-called insurrectionary plan will also be prosecuted.
Despite Biya's long-standing rule since 1982, the political atmosphere remains tenuous as protests trend in urban centers like Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators have engaged in civil disobedience, including erecting roadblocks and burning tires. Some analysts are raising alarms about the potential for a political crisis arising from the ongoing post-electoral violence, putting into question the stability of Biya's government moving forward.
The international community has expressed alarm over the violent responses by security personnel, with organizations like the UN, African Union, and EU urging for calm. On Tuesday, Nji accused Tchiroma Bakary of organizing illegal protests that led to fatalities, further stating that those involved in the so-called insurrectionary plan will also be prosecuted.
Despite Biya's long-standing rule since 1982, the political atmosphere remains tenuous as protests trend in urban centers like Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators have engaged in civil disobedience, including erecting roadblocks and burning tires. Some analysts are raising alarms about the potential for a political crisis arising from the ongoing post-electoral violence, putting into question the stability of Biya's government moving forward.
