At least four people have been confirmed dead following violent clashes between security forces and supporters of opposition leader Issa Tchiroma in Cameroon, ahead of the official announcement of the country’s presidential election results on Monday.
Tchiroma, who contested against President Paul Biya—Cameroon’s 92-year-old incumbent seeking an eighth term after 43 years in power—had urged his supporters to hold a peaceful march on Sunday, despite an official ban on public gatherings.
According to local authorities, the violence erupted in Douala, the country’s largest city, where protesters allegedly attacked gendarmerie and police stations in two districts. Regional Governor Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua confirmed the fatalities, stating that “four people unfortunately lost their lives” and that several security personnel sustained injuries.
Eyewitnesses told AFP that security forces initially fired tear gas before resorting to live ammunition, resulting in multiple casualties. Some demonstrators displayed bullet casings allegedly collected from the scene, claiming that three people were shot dead in front of them.
Meanwhile, in Garoua, Tchiroma’s northern stronghold, police also fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters carrying national flags and chanting slogans such as “Goodbye Paul Biya, Tchiroma is coming.”
Tchiroma, who insists that he won 54.8 percent of the vote, has accused the ruling government of electoral manipulation and claimed in a Sunday video that military personnel attempted to abduct him from his home. Most political observers, however, expect Biya to retain power amid widespread allegations of a rigged system.
In Yaoundé, the capital, streets remained relatively calm under heavy police surveillance, as the Constitutional Council prepared to announce the final results at 11:00 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Monday.
Reports also indicate that internet access has been significantly disrupted across several regions of the country, which digital rights monitor NetBlocks said may hinder coverage of ongoing events.
Authorities have further detained multiple opposition figures, including Djeukam Tchameni, president of the Movement for Democracy and Interdependence in Cameroon, and Anicet Ekane, president of the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon, both arrested at their homes in Douala on Friday.
Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji accused opposition groups of attempting to provoke a “security crisis” and of engaging in what he described as “an insurrectionist project.”
The unfolding events have heightened tensions nationwide, raising fears of further unrest as Cameroonians await the official declaration of results from an election already marred by violence and controversy.#newsafro_
