At least two people have been killed and several opposition leaders detained with Internet shut down in the central African nation ahead of Monday’s declaration of the October 12 presidential election result
Two opposition leaders have been arrested in Cameroon as protests continue ahead of the expected Monday declaration of the October 12 presidential election results.
Among those detained late Friday in Douala were Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni, key figures in the Union for Change platform backing opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who claims to have defeated President Paul Biya.
The African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) said its treasurer and other members were also taken by security forces, describing the arrests as attempts “to intimidate Cameroonians.”
Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, defended the arrests, saying those detained were suspected of plotting violent attacks disguised as protests.
“Their planned modus operandi is to infiltrate groups of protesters and commit terrorist attacks, leading to the loss of human lives which will later be attributed to the forces of law and order,” he said.
Local media reports, citing preliminary data from the electoral commission (Elecam), suggest that victory for the 92-year-old incumbent, Paul Biya, is all but certain.
Reports suggest Biya, who did not physically campaign but was represented by effigies at his rallies, will be declared the winner with 53% of the vote.
That prospect has provoked anger and disbelief among his opponents, leading to unrest across several regions.
Biya, who has been in power since 1982 and is president of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), is the world’s longest-ruling head of state.
In a statement released earlier this week, Clément Atangana, head of the Constitutional Council, confirmed the official results would be published on 27 October.
The council has already dismissed 10 petitions alleging electoral malpractice, including several filed by opposition parties, in decisions that have only deepened public distrust in the process.
The Constitutional Council is expected to announce the final election results on Monday. Opposition supporters have staged protests in recent days, warning against attempts to rig the vote.
Protests on Saturday were reported in Bafoussam, with motorcyclists flooding major roads calling for a credible election process. Clashes with security forces in other cities earlier in the week resulted in arrests and at least one death.
Zairatou Hassana, a 30-year-old primary schoolteacher in Garoua, was killed while checking on her sister, who had not returned from school. Her uncle told AP, “Her death makes me keep a bad souvenir of this regime like all other Cameroonians.”
Tchiroma warned of potential arrests against him in a Facebook post Friday, saying any move against him would constitute “an assault against the entire Cameroonian people.” He added,
“The people are simply asking you to recognize their victory.”