Protests erupt in Cameroon over presidential election fraud claims
Protests broke out Tuesday in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, as angry crowds accused authorities of fraud in the Oct. 12 presidential election.
In several neighbourhoods, demonstrators carried placards denouncing “electoral fraud” and a “stolen victory.” Police and gendarmes deployed across the city dispersed the protesters with tear gas after brief clashes.
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Videos shared by local media on social platforms showed protesters alleging that electoral officials “manipulated the vote count” in favour of longtime President Paul Biya.
Similar demonstrations were reported in Garoua, the chief town of North Region and hometown of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has claimed victory in the vote.
The government and traditional leaders have issued several statements, calling for calm and restraint.
Earlier Tuesday, the National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes said it had completed tallying ballots and would submit provisional results to the Constitutional Council, which is mandated to proclaim the outcome.
“It was the people who decided to protect Minister Tchiroma and his home,” says Hassana Tchiroma, speaking outside the minister’s home.
“You see, we didn’t do anything, and when we returned the other day, on the day of the vote, we found riot police and lots of gendarmes at the crossroads at the entrance to the minister’s home. But we did everything we could to get three vehicles through and disperse the others. It was the next day that the minister was finally able to return to his home, and since then, he has been confined to his residence. Everything he does, his statements and everything else, is done from his home.”
The situation remains tense in Garoua, a city under siege. Issa Tchiroma claimed victory in an address to Cameroonians from his home on Monday night.
Some local outlets reported that Biya was leading with more than 50 per cent of the vote. The Constitutional Council is expected to announce the official results by Oct. 27, in line with Cameroon’s Electoral Code.
