Cameroon Opposition Figure Faces Legal Action Over Post-Election Violence, Authorities Says
Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has announced that opposition leader Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over claims that he instigated "aggressive election protests".
No fewer than four demonstrators have been fatally wounded during confrontations between security forces and demonstrators since Cameroon's election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya obtaining an eighth term in office.
Issa Tchiroma asserts that he was the true winner, a assertion disputed by the governing party, the CPDM.
Aggressive responses by law enforcement on demonstrators have concerned the international community, with the UN, AU and European Union urging caution.
Official's Accusations
Recently, the interior minister accused the opposition figure of coordinating what he labeled "illegal" demonstrations resulting in the deaths, and also rebuked him for announcing success in the presidential race.
He added that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices behind an insurrectionary plan" will also undergo judicial processes.
Election Results
Cameroon's leader, who assumed office in 1982 and is now the oldest serving president, obtained the October 12 presidential election with 53.7% of the votes, compared to 35.2% for his opponent, according to the electoral authority.
Opposition Response
Issa Tchiroma is yet to respond to the government's decision to prosecute him, but he had earlier declared that he refused to acknowledge a stolen vote - and that he was not afraid of being taken into custody.
Following the vote count, he said that armed men used lethal force on protesters gathered near his house in the city of Garoua, killing at least 2 individuals.
Investigation Revealed
Recently, the interior minister revealed that an investigation would be initiated into unrest surrounding the announcement of the poll figures.
"During these attacks, some of the individuals involved lost their lives," he commented, without providing a exact count of protesters who have been lost their lives in the confrontations.
Nji noted that several officers of the law enforcement also received major harm.
Ongoing Circumstances
Even though Nji insisted the situation across the country was now manageable, demonstrators remain active in certain regions of the nation, especially in Douala and Garoua, where protesters set up barricades on that day, and burnt rubber on the streets.
Observers alert that the political turmoil could plunge the country into a governmental instability.