Protests in Cameroon have turned violent, claiming the lives of at least four people as clashes between security forces and supporters of opposition presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary intensified. The region's economic hub Douala was among the cities where demonstrations took place, with police and protesters clashing after a ban on gatherings was enforced.
Tensions are escalating in Cameroon ahead of Monday's announcement by the constitutional council of the results from the highly contested presidential election held on October 12th. Tchiroma Bakary has claimed victory, stating he won the election with 55% of the vote based on returns from 80% of the electorate. The ruling CPDM party, led by incumbent President Paul Biya, has dismissed these claims as illegal and announced their support for Biya's bid for re-election.
Supporters of Tchiroma Bakary have taken to the streets in several cities, including Douala and Garoua, where police responded with tear gas and water cannons. The opposition candidate was a former government minister who served from 2009 to 2019 before announcing his candidacy against Biya just four months prior to the election.
The situation remains volatile as Cameroon awaits the official announcement of the results from the constitutional council. Demonstrators in Douala were seen carrying banners urging U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene on their behalf, while supporters in Garoua wore Tchiroma Bakary's campaign colors and chanted his name, calling for him to be recognized as the rightful president.
Tensions have been building since the election, with allegations of irregularities including ballot-stuffing making it difficult to determine a clear winner. The judges on the constitutional council recently dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.
In contrast, Tchiroma Bakary has refused to file complaints with the council, instead declaring himself the "legal and legitimate president." He spent six years in prison for alleged involvement in an attempt to overthrow President Biya during his time as communications minister from 2009 to 2019.
Tensions are escalating in Cameroon ahead of Monday's announcement by the constitutional council of the results from the highly contested presidential election held on October 12th. Tchiroma Bakary has claimed victory, stating he won the election with 55% of the vote based on returns from 80% of the electorate. The ruling CPDM party, led by incumbent President Paul Biya, has dismissed these claims as illegal and announced their support for Biya's bid for re-election.
Supporters of Tchiroma Bakary have taken to the streets in several cities, including Douala and Garoua, where police responded with tear gas and water cannons. The opposition candidate was a former government minister who served from 2009 to 2019 before announcing his candidacy against Biya just four months prior to the election.
The situation remains volatile as Cameroon awaits the official announcement of the results from the constitutional council. Demonstrators in Douala were seen carrying banners urging U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene on their behalf, while supporters in Garoua wore Tchiroma Bakary's campaign colors and chanted his name, calling for him to be recognized as the rightful president.
Tensions have been building since the election, with allegations of irregularities including ballot-stuffing making it difficult to determine a clear winner. The judges on the constitutional council recently dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.
In contrast, Tchiroma Bakary has refused to file complaints with the council, instead declaring himself the "legal and legitimate president." He spent six years in prison for alleged involvement in an attempt to overthrow President Biya during his time as communications minister from 2009 to 2019.
The unfolding protests in Cameroon are a stark reminder of the fragility of democratic governance in Africa 
. With tensions escalating ahead of the official announcement of election results, it's clear that the rule of law is being tested 
. While issues surrounding electoral irregularities and alleged vote-rigging persist, I'm concerned about the escalating use of force by security forces against unarmed protesters 
. The fact that demonstrators are resorting to carrying banners for international intervention highlights a deep-seated distrust in the country's electoral process 
. Ultimately, the will of the people must be respected and the constitutional council's decision should be based on verifiable evidence 
.
. It's always the same story, allegations of irregularities and whatnot, but at the end of the day it's just politicians trying to get ahead 
. And let's be real, the guy's got a history with Biya - six years in prison, that's some serious baggage 
. You'd think he'd be more careful about how he handles this whole situation... or maybe I'm just seeing things through the lens of skepticism 
. But seriously, can't we just let the constitutional council do their job and announce the results already? This back-and-forth is just causing more chaos 
.
The situation in Cameroon is super volatile right now... I think it's a shame that protests have turned violent and innocent lives have been lost 
. On one hand, you've got opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claiming victory with 55% of the vote, but the ruling party isn't accepting it and the CPDM party is backing incumbent President Paul Biya's re-election bid 
. The fact that allegations of irregularities like ballot-stuffing have come up is definitely a major obstacle to finding out who won fairly.
I'm literally sending all my positive vibes to the protesters, they're just trying to express their voices and demand a fair election! 
It's like, we've seen this before in other countries where elections aren't always smooth sailing. The tension is building up and it's scary, but let's keep our fingers crossed that everything gets sorted out peacefully 
), but seriously, who doesn't want a smooth transfer of power? Let the people decide! And if it means using social media to get their point across, I'm all for it 
U.S. President Donald Trump can definitely make an impact here - his team should reach out and see what they can do 
- all these protests and clashes, its like they're trying to make it look like a full-blown civil war or something...and with the tchiroma bakary guy, i dont know man, he's got some baggage from his past, spent 6 years in prison for even trying to overthrow biya lol what does that say about him? but at the same time, its hard not to feel for him and the people who are supporting him...the fact that he won 55% of the vote based on returns from 80% of the electorate is pretty solid if you ask me 
. I mean, four people dead in protests? That's just heartbreaking 
.
The fact that supporters are calling on foreign leaders to intervene, like the US President 
, just adds to the tension.
. We need transparency and accountability in our electoral processes. Can't we trust the system to work itself out? I'm keeping an eye on this situation 
...
. I get why people are upset, but all this violence and anger isn't going to help anything. And now, protesters are waving signs at Trump like he's some kinda savior?