Cameroon: Dozens killed in post-election crackdown

UN sources estimate that 48 people have been killed by Cameroonian security forces during the crackdown on protests after controversial presidential elections, according to Africa News via Reuters on November 5th.

The report was released on November 4th and suggests that gunshot wounds caused the majority of deaths, while others died from injuries sustained when security forces beat them.

Hundreds took to the streets to protest the election, which was held on October 12th, with the results being released on October 27th. However, both President Paul Biya and the opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma, claimed victory on October 20th.

Polling by Cameroon’s Constitutional Court found that President Paul Biya had won with 53.66% of the vote, thereby securing his eighth consecutive term in office, which he has held since 1982.

Opposition leaders contested the results, which cannot be appealed. Tchiroma rejected the outcome as “truncated results” that were designed to grant Biya a “fictitious victory.”

The only female candidate in the race, Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, stated that the results did not reflect the Cameroonian people’s “sovereign will,” and denounced alleged widespread irregularities, manipulation, and “repeated violations of the law.”

92-year-old Biya’s victory has secured him another seven-year term, which will allow him to remain as president until he is nearly 100 years old. This is despite his administration facing accusations of corruption, embezzlement, poor governance and a failure to address key issues; his age has also raised concerns about his ability to govern Cameroon effectively.

As the nation awaited the election results, one person was reportedly killed after being shot by a police officer while attending a demonstration on October 21st. The victim was identified as Zouhairatou Hassana, a young teacher who was killed in the city of Garoua.

On October 28th, the Biya administration’s Interior Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, accused Tchiroma of inciting “violent post-election demonstrations” which “wreaked havoc.” He warned that the opposition candidate could face legal action for the unrest that followed the election.

Amid threats of legal action, Tchiroma urged his supporters to participate in a “ghost town” protest on October 31st, which aims to immobilise the country’s economy by having people stay at home, not go to work, and close their businesses over a three-day period.

Supporters of Tchiroma had also taken to the streets two days prior to the election, while young Cameroonians reportedly kept watch over Tchiroma’s house on October 20th, fearing that Biya’s government would arrest the opposition leader for his early claims of victory.

Africa News via Reuters, Maghrebi.org