🔗 Share this article

Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has stated that political opponent Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over accusations that he provoked "violent post-election demonstrations".

A minimum of four demonstrators have been fatally wounded during confrontations between law enforcement and demonstrators since Cameroon's election on 12 October, with President Paul Biya, aged 92 obtaining an eighth consecutive term.

The opposition leader asserts that he won the election, a statement dismissed by the governing party, the CPDM.

Aggressive responses by police and security officers on protesters have alarmed the world leaders, with the United Nations, AU and European Union urging moderation.

Minister's Claims

On Tuesday, the interior minister charged Tchiroma Bakary of planning what he referred to as "unlawful" demonstrations resulting in the deaths, and also condemned him for claiming win in the presidential race.

He added that the opposition leader's "co-conspirators involved in an rebellious scheme" will also undergo judicial processes.

Vote Outcome

Cameroon's leader, who assumed office in the early 80s and is now the oldest serving president, obtained the October 12 election with a majority of the ballots, compared to a significant minority for his opponent, according to the constitutional court.

Challenger's Position

Issa Tchiroma is remains silent to the official announcement to prosecute him, but he had previously declared that he would not accept a rigged election - and that he was not afraid of being detained.

Following the vote count, he claimed that armed men shot on demonstrators present near his home in Garoua, causing the death of at least two civilians.

Investigation Revealed

Earlier this week, the government official revealed that an probe would be initiated into unrest prior to and following the declaration of the election results.

"Throughout the violence, some of the individuals involved lost their lives," he stated, without providing a specific number of protesters who have been fatally injured in the clashes.

The minister added that multiple officers of the law enforcement also sustained significant wounds.

Current Situation

Even though Nji asserted the condition nationwide was now under control, protesters remain active in various areas of the country, especially in urban centers, where demonstrators established barricades on that day, and set fire to tyres on the streets.

Experts caution that the post-electoral violence could plunge the country into a governmental instability.