Cameroonian Political Opposition Leader Faces Legal Action Over Election Unrest, Authorities Announces
Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has declared that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over allegations that he provoked "violent electoral rallies".
No fewer than four demonstrators have been killed during confrontations between police and military and demonstrators since the presidential election on 12 October, with President Paul Biya, aged 92 winning an eighth consecutive term.
Tchiroma Bakary asserts that he emerged victorious, a statement rejected by Biya's ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).
Forceful measures by security personnel on demonstrators have concerned the world leaders, with the UN, AU and EU calling for caution.
Minister's Claims
On Tuesday, Nji charged Tchiroma Bakary of planning what he labeled "unauthorized" demonstrations causing the deaths, and also criticised him for claiming win in the election.
He added that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices responsible for an subversive plot" will also face legal action.
Poll Figures
Paul Biya, who came to power in the early 80s and is now the world's oldest head of state, obtained the 12 October presidential election with a majority of the vote, compared to a significant minority for the challenger, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.
Opposition Response
Issa Tchiroma is has not yet commented to the official announcement to bring him to court, but he had previously announced that he would not accept a fraudulent outcome - and that he was undaunted of being taken into custody.
When results were announced, he reported that security forces shot on demonstrators present near his home in the city of Garoua, fatally wounding at least two individuals.
Probe Launched
On Tuesday, the government official disclosed that an probe would be launched into clashes prior to and following the declaration of the poll figures.
"During these attacks, some of the individuals involved lost their lives," he said, without providing a specific number of protesters who have been fatally injured in the clashes.
The minister added that multiple members of the security forces also sustained serious injuries.
Ongoing Circumstances
Even though Nji maintained the situation nationwide was now stable, protesters continue to protest in certain regions of the nation, especially in Douala and Garoua, where protesters mounted obstructions on Tuesday, and ignited tyres on the streets.
Experts warn that the political turmoil could plunge the country into a political crisis.