Ofure Akhigbe
With the Constitutional Council’s official announcement expected imminently, Cameroon remains in a tense standoff as protesters clashed with security forces and at least four people were killed.
In Douala on Sunday, opposition supporters defied a government ban on demonstrations, barricading roads, burning tires, and attacking police stations. Security forces responded with live gunfire, tear gas, and water cannon. Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua, governor of the Littoral region, confirmed four fatalities and said several security personnel were also wounded.
The campaign of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary confirmed the deaths and accused the government of suppressing dissent. Tchiroma insists he won the Oct. 12 election with about 54.8 % of the vote, based on returns he says reflect 80 % of polling stations.
Authorities reject his claims, arguing that only the Constitutional Council can declare a winner. The government has also arrested dozens of activists and opposition figures in recent days, with Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji characterizing their actions as part of an “insurrectional movement.”
In multiple cities — including Douala, Garoua, Yaoundé, Maroua, Meiganga, Bafang and Kousseri — protests have escalated. Security forces cracked down hard, detaining scores of protesters.
Meanwhile, provisional results released earlier by the National Vote Counting Commission projected incumbent Paul Biya to win with just over 53 % of the vote, ahead of Tchiroma’s claimed 35 % share. Those numbers are widely contested by the opposition.
Security forces are reportedly on heightened alert nationwide, with police, military and gendarmes deployed in key cities ahead of the official result announcement. There is a widespread expectation that Biya will be formally declared the winner today, though that would likely deepen political tensions.
As of now, the electoral outcome remains unconfirmed pending the Constitutional Council’s final validation.