Cameroonian Political Opposition Figure Faces Court Action Over Electoral Turmoil, Government Declares
Cameroon's Interior Minister the interior minister has declared that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over accusations that he provoked "violent post-election demonstrations".
No fewer than four demonstrators have been lost their lives during skirmishes between law enforcement and demonstrators since Cameroon's election on October 12, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya obtaining an eighth presidential mandate.
Tchiroma Bakary insists that he won the election, a statement dismissed by Biya's ruling party, the CPDM.
Aggressive responses by police and security officers on demonstrators have concerned the global community, with the United Nations, African Union and EU demanding moderation.
Official's Accusations
Earlier this week, the interior minister charged Tchiroma Bakary of coordinating what he described as "unlawful" protests causing the loss of lives, and also criticised him for declaring victory in the election.
He further stated that the opposition leader's "accomplices responsible for an subversive plot" will also face legal action.
Vote Outcome
Cameroon's leader, who took control in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, secured the 12 October election with a majority of the ballots, compared to just over a third for his opponent, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.
Opposition Response
The opposition figure is has not yet commented to the government's decision to bring him to court, but he had previously declared that he rejected a stolen vote - and that he was fearless of being detained.
Following the vote count, he claimed that armed men used lethal force on protesters assembled near his house in the city of Garoua, killing at least two individuals.
Inquiry Revealed
Recently, the government official revealed that an inquiry would be started into clashes before and after the declaration of the vote outcome.
"During these attacks, some of the perpetrators died," he said, without giving a exact count of demonstrators who have been killed in the confrontations.
The minister further mentioned that several officers of the law enforcement also sustained significant wounds.
Current Situation
While Nji asserted the state of affairs nationwide was now under control, demonstrators continue to protest in various areas of the country, especially in these two cities, where demonstrators established obstructions on that day, and burnt tyres on the streets.
Analysts alert that the political turmoil could lead the nation into a governmental instability.