🔗 Share this article

The nation's Minister of the Interior the interior minister has announced that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over allegations that he provoked "aggressive electoral rallies".

A minimum of four protesters have been lost their lives during clashes between law enforcement and opposition supporters since the electoral process on October 12, with President Paul Biya, aged 92 obtaining an eighth term in office.

Issa Tchiroma insists that he was the true winner, a assertion rejected by Biya's ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Forceful measures by security personnel on protesters have concerned the international community, with the UN, AU and European Union demanding moderation.

Official's Allegations

On Tuesday, the interior minister charged Tchiroma Bakary of coordinating what he referred to as "illegal" rallies resulting in the loss of lives, and also rebuked him for claiming win in the electoral contest.

He further stated that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices behind an subversive plot" will also face legal action.

Poll Figures

Cameroon's leader, who assumed office in the early 80s and is now the most elderly national leader, obtained the October 12 presidential election with a majority of the votes, compared to just over a third for Tchiroma Bakary, according to the constitutional court.

Challenger's Position

Tchiroma Bakary is yet to respond to the government's decision to try him, but he had before announced that he refused to acknowledge a fraudulent outcome - and that he was undaunted of being detained.

On election result day, he reported that gunmen opened fire on demonstrators assembled near his house in the city of Garoua, fatally wounding at least two civilians.

Inquiry Revealed

On Tuesday, the interior minister disclosed that an inquiry would be launched into violent incidents before and after the declaration of the election results.

"Throughout the violence, some of the perpetrators died," he stated, without providing a precise figure of demonstrators who have been lost their lives in the incidents.

The minister further mentioned that a number of personnel of the security forces also received serious injuries.

Present Conditions

Although the interior minister insisted the situation across the country was now under control, protesters continue to protest in some parts of the country, especially in urban centers, where demonstrators mounted barricades on that day, and ignited tyres on the roads.

Analysts alert that the election-related unrest could plunge the nation into a political crisis.