Protest in Cameroon
Cameroon is facing series of unrest as opposition leaders reject the results of the October presidential election, which declared the nation’s longest serving leader Paul Biya the winner. The country’s top court confirmed the 92-year-old Biya’s victory, extending his rule beyond four decades.
Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, is expected to serve another seven-year term in a nation increasingly frustrated by poverty, corruption, and youth unemployment. Opposition supporters say the election was rigged, and tensions have boiled over into the streets.
In the port city of Douala, a resident indicated that, “The youth are out to reclaim their stolen votes. We can clearly see that Issa Tchiroma Bakary won the election, but the government is refusing to accept it.”
Residents are complaining that there are no jobs, people can’t afford food or healthcare. Reports are that Biya’s 43 year regime has brought nothing but suffering, so the protesters say they want him out.
Protests first erupted in mid-October after opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory while results were still being tallied. Since then, security forces have clashed with demonstrators in Yaoundé, Douala, and other cities, leaving dozens injured or dead and hundreds arrested, as calls grow louder for credible election results.
