We are alarmed by reports that several people have been killed during protests over the outcome of the 12 October presidential election.

We call on the security forces to refrain from use of lethal force, and on the protesters to demonstrate peacefully. The authorities must fully abide by their obligations under international human rights law, and political leaders and their supporters must refrain from violence and hate speech.

We urge the authorities to ensure prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all cases of election-related violence, including the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force, and to bring those responsible to justice. Fair trial rights and due process for anyone arrested should also be guaranteed.

Source: UN Human Rights Council

Opposition leaders in Cameroon Tuesday contested the official results of the Oct. 12 presidential election after the country’s top court declared the world’s oldest leader Paul Biya winner as protests continued across the country.

Citizens began protesting in mid-October after opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory as the official results were still being tallied. Since then, security forces have clashed with angry protesters in many cities including Douala and Garoua – opposition strongholds – and in the capital, Yaounde. At least four people have been shot and hundreds arrested as opposition supporters demanded credible results.

The Constitutional Council on Monday said Biya won the election with 53.66% against his former ally-turned challenger, Tchiroma, who received 35.19%. The results are final and cannot be appealed.

International bodies and human rights organizations on Tuesday condemned the violent response to the protests.

The European Union said in a statement Tuesday that it was “deeply concerned” by the violent repression of the demonstrations that took place on Oct. 26 and 27 and deploring the death by firearm of a number of civilians.

The U.N. Secretary-General echoed these concerns, calling on political stakeholders and their supporters to “exercise restraint, reject violence and refrain from any inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech.” Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and other rights groups have also noted “excessive use of force” against protesters and have called for an investigation into the deaths.

The minister of territorial administration, Paul Atanga Nji, told reporters Tuesday that protesters “wreaked havoc” in several towns across the country prior to the official proclamation of the presidential election results.

“During these attacks, some of the criminals lost their lives. Several members of the security forces were also seriously injured during clashes with demonstrators,” Atanga Nji said without giving further details.

Shortly after being declared winner, 92-year-old Biya sent his thoughts to all those who have “unnecessarily lost their lives” and their families in the postelection violence.

But the opposition candidates rejected the results pronounced by the Constitutional Council. Tchiroma claimed victory two days after the election and last week called on his supporters to “come out in massive numbers.” On Tuesday, he called out the Constitutional Council for announcing “truncated results” and awarding “a fictitious victory” to Biya.

The lone female candidate in the election who emerged fifth, Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, said on Monday that the outcome of the election didn’t reflect the “sovereign will” of the people.

“They reflect a weakened electoral system, undermined by irregularities, manipulation and repeated violations of the law,” she said.

A group of eight local civil society groups previously noted several irregularities in the electoral process, including the presence of deceased voters on electoral lists, unequal distribution of ballot papers and attempts at ballot box-stuffing. But the African Union mission said the vote was “conducted largely in accordance with regional, continental and international standards.”

Biya is expected to be sworn in within 15 days of the official announcement of the results in consonance with Cameroon’s Constitution. He first came to power in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon’s first president and has ruled since then, later benefiting from a constitutional amendment that abolished term limits.

Cameroon is an oil-producing country with modest economic growth, but young people say the benefits have not trickled down beyond the elites. According to World Bank data, the unemployment rate stands at 3.5%, but 57% of the labor force aged 18 to 35 works in informal employment.

Source: AP

Cameroon’s Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji says opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over allegations he incited “violent post-election demonstrations”.

At least four protesters have been killed during clashes between security forces and opposition supporters since Cameroon’s election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya winning an eighth consecutive term.

Tchiroma Bakary insists he won the election, a claim dismissed by Biya’s ruling party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Violent crackdowns by police and security officers on protesters have alarmed the international community, with the UN, African Union and EU calling for restraint.

On Tuesday, Nji accused Tchiroma Bakary of organising what he said were “illegal” protests leading to the loss of lives, and also criticised him for declaring victory in the election.

He added that Tchiroma Bakary’s “accomplices responsible for an insurrectionary plan” will also face legal action.

Paul Biya, who came to power in 1982 and is now the world’s oldest head of state, won the 12 October election with 53.7% of the vote, compared to 35.2% for Tchiroma Bakary, according to Cameroon’s Constitutional Council.

Tchiroma Bakary is yet to respond to the government’s decision to try him, but he had previously told the BBC that he would not accept a stolen vote – and that he was not afraid of being arrested.

On election result day, he said armed men opened fire on protesters assembled near his residence in Garoua, fatally wounding at least two civilians.

On Tuesday, the interior minister revealed that an investigation would be launched into violent incidents before and after the announcement of the election results.

“During these attacks, some of the criminals lost their lives,” he said, without providing a specific number of protesters who have been killed in the clashes.

Nji added that several members of the security forces had also sustained serious injuries.

Although Nji insisted the situation nationwide was now under control, protesters remain active in some parts of the country, especially in Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators mounted roadblocks on Tuesday, and burnt tyres on the streets.

Analysts warn the post-electoral violence could plunge the country into a political crisis.

Source: BBC

The European Union has declared itself deeply concerned about the violent repression of protests that have rocked Cameroon following a disputed presidential vote.

The EU urged Cameroonian authorities to release all individuals who have been arbitrarily detained since the election.

At least four people have been killed in the African nation since demonstrators took to the streets to protest the announcement that Paul Biya had secured an eighth term in office.

The European Union urges all sides to maintain restraint and refrain from any action that may further exacerbate tensions according to the bloc’s foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni.

Violence in the aftermath of the closer-than-expected ballot has raised fears that the unrest could escalate in the former French colony in central Africa.

Four people were killed in clashes between security forces and supporters of the opposition in the economic capital Douala on Sunday according to the region’s governor.

More protests took place on Monday despite restrictions with security forces reportedly moving in to break up the latest demonstrations.

The EU deplored the death by firearm of a number of civilians El Anouni said.

The spokesman also called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained since the presidential elections.

Biya who is 92 years old is only the second person to lead Cameroon since independence from France in 1960.

He has ruled with an iron fist repressing all political and armed opposition and holding onto power in the face of social upheaval economic inequality and separatist violence.

Source – AFP

Protests broke out Tuesday in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, as angry crowds accused authorities of fraud in the Oct. 12 presidential election.

In several neighborhoods, 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.

Videos shared by local media on social platforms showed protesters alleging that electoral officials “manipulated the vote count” in favor 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.

Some local outlets reported that Biya was leading with more than 50 percent of the vote. The Constitutional Council is expected to announce the official results by Oct. 27, in line with Cameroon’s Electoral Code.

Source: Xinhuanet

The Houthi group on Saturday denied any involvement in the projectile attack earlier in the day in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen’s coast, which led to the explosion and burning of a Cameroon-flagged oil tanker, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a statement on social media platform X that it had received reports of a vessel struck by an unknown projectile about 116 nautical miles east of the Yemeni port city of Aden, which subsequently caught fire.

A source from Yemen’s government coast guard identified the vessel as MV FALCON, noting that “the situation is under control” following rapid rescue operations, and that an investigation has been launched into the attack.

The source said all 26 crew members were safely evacuated from the vessel, but a statement issued later by EU military operation EUNAVFOR Aspides on X said 24 of them — one Ukrainian and 25 Indians — have been rescued and are being transported to Djibouti, while the other two remain missing.

According to EUNAVFOR Aspides, the vessel was sailing 113 nautical miles southeast of Aden when the attack came. It then exploded, caught fire, and has been adrift.

“Initial assessments suggest that approximately 15 percent of the ship is on fire. The cause of the blast remains unclear, but indications point to an onboard accident,” it added.

The Gulf of Aden is a key maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. In recent months, the waterway and the neighboring Red Sea have witnessed repeated attacks on commercial shipping, attributed to the Houthis. The group says its operations are aimed at pressuring Israel and its allies in solidarity with the Palestinians amidst the Gaza conflict.

Source: China Daily