Cameroonian opposition leader denies government talks

The exiled Cameroonian opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma, has denied holding talks with the government of President Paul Biya, as reported by Africanews and agencies on January 16th.

Alice Nkom, Tchiroma’s spokeswoman, dismissed these claims, saying that there will be “no discussion, no compromise, and no participation in any electoral process whatsoever.”

In a statement, Tchiroma confirmed he had no intention of negotiating what he sees as his electoral victory, while his party announced it will boycott upcoming parliamentary and municipal elections, arguing that participation would legitimise perceived electoral wrongdoing.

It was reported in November 2025 that Tchiroma, of the National Salvation Front party, sought refuge in the Gambia after facing legal threats from Biya’s administration for contesting the October 12th election results.

The Cameroonian election result has been highly contentious, with at least 48 people being killed in a violent crackdown of opposition activists by security forces.

Biya was declared the winner on October 27th, marking his eighth consecutive term in office, which he has held since 1982. The 92-year-old received 53.66% of the vote, securing another seven-year term.

His government has faced allegations of corruption, embezzlement, bad governance and a failure to address key issues. In 2008, Biya oversaw the passage of a constitutional amendment that abolished presidential term limits, allowing him to stand for re-election as many times as he wanted.

Tchiroma has contested the election results, describing them as “truncated results” that were designed to grant Biya a “fictitious victory.” He called on his supporters to protest against the results, which cannot be appealed.

Nationwide civil unrest following the election led to Biya’s administration accusing Tchiroma and his supporters of inciting violence.

It was reported on December 15th that at least 30 people had been detained for alleged participation in post-election violence; civil society organisations have raised concerns about the apparent crackdown on opposition candidates and supporters by Cameroon’s government.

Fears about state-sanctioned violence have been further fuelled by the death of Anicet Ekane, a prominent opposition figure who died in Cameroonian state custody on December 1st, 2025.

Africanews and agencies, Maghrebi.org