Cameroon’s main opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has rejected the results of the country’s recent presidential election and issued a 48-hour ultimatum to President Paul Biya’s government to release all protesters detained after the disputed vote. In a video shared on social media Sunday, Tchiroma accused the government of “state gangsterism and terrorism,” alleging that post-election arrests and what he called “ethnic purges” were part of a wider crackdown on dissent. “The Cameroonian people no longer want them, the Cameroonian people can no longer tolerate them,” he declared.
According to official results, Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, won re-election with 53.66% of the vote, while Tchiroma finished second with 35.19%. However, Tchiroma insists he is the rightful president-elect and has called for nationwide protests, including “ghost town” actions, to challenge what he claims was massive electoral fraud. Human rights groups and UN sources cited by Reuters report that at least 48 people were killed in clashes with security forces during demonstrations following the vote. The government disputes this figure, acknowledging five deaths.
Tchiroma is reportedly in exile in Nigeria, from where he continues to mobilize supporters. He warned that if his demands are ignored, citizens will “feel free not only to protect themselves but also to do everything possible to protect their children.” President Biya, sworn in for another term on Thursday, appealed for calm and unity. “Cameroon does not need a post-election crisis with potentially dramatic consequences,” he said, urging citizens and the diaspora to avoid “hatred and violence.”
