Cameroon Political Opposition Leader to Face Court Action Regarding Electoral Turmoil, Government Says

Political Protest in Cameroon
Numerous in Cameroon express anger that the president has secured an eighth term

Cameroon's Minister of the Interior the interior minister has declared that political opponent Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over accusations that he incited "violent election protests".

No fewer than 4 demonstrators have been fatally wounded during skirmishes between law enforcement and opposition supporters since the presidential election on October 12, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya winning an eighth consecutive term.

Tchiroma Bakary insists that he won the election, a assertion rejected by the incumbent party, the ruling CPDM.

Aggressive responses by security personnel on demonstrators have concerned the world leaders, with the United Nations, AU and European Union demanding moderation.

Minister's Claims

On Tuesday, the interior minister charged Tchiroma Bakary of organising what he referred to as "unauthorized" protests leading to the fatalities, and also rebuked him for claiming win in the presidential race.

He further stated that the opposition leader's "accomplices behind an insurrectionary plan" will also undergo judicial processes.

Election Results

Paul Biya, who came to power in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, obtained the 12 October election with 53.7% of the ballots, compared to just over a third for his opponent, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.

Opposition Response

Tchiroma Bakary is yet to respond to the government's decision to bring him to court, but he had before stated that he would not accept a fraudulent outcome - and that he was undaunted of being detained.

Following the vote count, he claimed that security forces used lethal force on demonstrators gathered near his house in the city of Garoua, causing the death of at least two civilians.

Probe Announced

Earlier this week, the government official announced that an investigation would be launched into violent incidents surrounding the announcement of the poll figures.

"Throughout the violence, some of the individuals involved died," he commented, without providing a exact count of demonstrators who have been lost their lives in the clashes.

The minister noted that a number of personnel of the security forces also received major harm.

Present Conditions

Even though the interior minister maintained the condition across the country was now under control, demonstrators continue to protest in various areas of the nation, especially in these two cities, where demonstrators established barricades on Tuesday, and burnt tyres on the roads.

Experts warn that the political turmoil could lead the country into a governmental instability.

Deborah Garcia
Deborah Garcia

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