🔗 Share this article

The nation's Minister of the Interior Paul Atanga Nji has announced that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over claims that he provoked "aggressive election protests".

At least 4 protesters have been killed during confrontations between police and military and opposition supporters since the presidential election on October 12, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya securing an eighth consecutive term.

The opposition leader insists that he was the true winner, a assertion rejected by the governing party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Aggressive responses by police and security officers on protesters have alarmed the international community, with the UN, AU and European Union demanding restraint.

Minister's Claims

Earlier this week, Nji alleged Tchiroma Bakary of planning what he described as "illegal" demonstrations leading to the fatalities, and also rebuked him for announcing success in the electoral contest.

He further stated that Tchiroma Bakary's "co-conspirators behind an subversive plot" will also undergo judicial processes.

Election Results

The president, who came to power in the early 80s and is now the oldest serving president, secured the 12 October presidential election with a majority of the ballots, compared to just over a third for his opponent, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.

Challenger's Position

Issa Tchiroma is remains silent to the government's decision to bring him to court, but he had before announced that he would not accept a fraudulent outcome - and that he was not afraid of being taken into custody.

On election result day, he reported that security forces opened fire on protesters present near his house in the city of Garoua, causing the death of at least 2 individuals.

Inquiry Revealed

On Tuesday, the interior minister disclosed that an inquiry would be launched into violent incidents surrounding the declaration of the poll figures.

"Throughout the violence, some of the perpetrators lost their lives," he stated, without providing a specific number of protesters who have been lost their lives in the incidents.

The minister added that several officers of the police and military also suffered significant wounds.

Current Situation

Even though the interior minister maintained the situation nationwide was now under control, protesters continue to protest in various areas of the nation, especially in urban centers, where demonstrators established barricades on Tuesday, and set fire to tires on the roads.

Observers alert that the political turmoil could push the nation into a political crisis.