At least two people have been killed in Cameroon following gunfire during protests that took place a day before the expected announcement of presidential election results. The opposition campaign reported the casualties, which occurred as supporters of candidate Issa Tchiroma gathered in several cities.
On Sunday, hundreds of Tchiroma’s supporters barricaded roads and set tires ablaze in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial capital. Law enforcement responded by deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. A police vehicle was also set on fire during the unrest.
The protesters claim that Tchiroma defeated incumbent President Paul Biya, 92, in the October 12 elections and accuse authorities of planning to manipulate the results. Similar demonstrations have erupted in multiple cities, including Yaounde, Garoua, Maroua, Meiganga, Bafang, Bertoua, Kousseri, Yagoua, Kaele, and Bafoussam.
These protests followed partial election results reported by local media suggesting that Biya was poised to win an eighth term in office. However, initial local counts indicated that Tchiroma had been declared the winner. Subsequently, the national electoral commission announced Biya as the victor, a decision that Tchiroma contests.
Tchiroma asserts that he has secured victory and possesses evidence to support his claim, prompting nationwide demonstrations demanding transparency in the ballot-counting process. In Douala’s New Bell neighborhood, protesters chanted, “We want Tchiroma, we want Tchiroma!” They blocked roads with debris and hurled rocks and other projectiles at security forces.
Reuters journalists reported that at least four protesters were detained on Sunday. The Cameroonian government has dismissed opposition allegations of election irregularities and called for patience as the official results are expected to be released on Monday.
Earlier on Sunday, Tchiroma’s campaign manager stated that approximately 30 politicians and activists who supported his candidacy had been arrested, further intensifying the situation. Among those detained were Anicet Ekane, leader of the MANIDEM party, and Djeukam Tchameni, a prominent member of the Union for Change movement.
Cameroon’s Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji mentioned on Saturday that arrests had taken place in connection with what he described as an “insurrectional movement.” However, he did not provide details about the individuals or the number of detainees.
Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, has governed Cameroon since 1982. A seventh consecutive term would extend his leadership until he reaches nearly 100 years of age.
Tchiroma, a former minister and once a close ally of Biya, has maintained that he won the election and will not accept any alternative outcome.
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