Cameroon Political Opposition Figure to Face Legal Proceedings Over Election Unrest, Authorities Announces
The nation's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has declared that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over allegations that he instigated "aggressive post-election demonstrations".
No fewer than four protesters have been fatally wounded during skirmishes between security forces and opposition supporters since the presidential election on 12 October, with President Paul Biya, aged 92 securing an eighth term in office.
The opposition leader maintains that he was the true winner, a claim rejected by Biya's ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).
Forceful measures by security personnel on protesters have concerned the global community, with the UN, African Union and EU calling for caution.
Minister's Allegations
On Tuesday, the interior minister charged Tchiroma Bakary of organising what he referred to as "unlawful" protests leading to the fatalities, and also condemned him for declaring victory in the presidential race.
He further stated that Tchiroma Bakary's "associates responsible for an subversive plot" will also face legal action.
Election Results
Paul Biya, who came to power in the early 80s and is now the most elderly national leader, won the October 12 vote with 53.7% of the votes, compared to a significant minority for the challenger, according to the electoral authority.
Opposition Response
The opposition figure is remains silent to the official announcement to bring him to court, but he had before announced that he refused to acknowledge a rigged election - and that he was not afraid of being detained.
Following the vote count, he said that security forces shot on demonstrators assembled near his home in the city of Garoua, causing the death of at least two people.
Investigation Announced
On Tuesday, the government official revealed that an inquiry would be initiated into violent incidents before and after the publication of the vote outcome.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the perpetrators died," he said, without giving a exact count of protesters who have been killed in the confrontations.
The minister further mentioned that a number of personnel of the police and military also received serious injuries.
Present Conditions
Although the interior minister insisted the state of affairs across the country was now under control, demonstrators remain active in some parts of the country, especially in these two cities, where demonstrators mounted roadblocks on that day, and set fire to rubber on the thoroughfares.
Analysts caution that the post-electoral violence could lead the nation into a governmental instability.