Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, aged 92, has been re-elected for an eighth term in office, securing 53.7 percent of the votes in a highly contentious election marred by violent protests and allegations of fraud.
The official results were announced on Monday by the Constitutional Council, confirming Biya’s continued grip on power after more than four decades as the country’s leader.
According to the council’s declaration, former government minister and opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, came second with 35.2 percent of the votes. Tchiroma had earlier declared himself winner, claiming he secured 54.8 percent based on his party’s internal tally.
Tension heightened across several regions ahead of the official results as supporters of the opposition leader took to the streets to protest the alleged manipulation of the electoral process. Authorities confirmed that at least four people were killed during clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
In Douala, Cameroon’s largest city, Regional Governor Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua said protesters “attacked” a gendarmerie brigade and police stations in two districts. “Four people, unfortunately, lost their lives, and some security operatives sustained injuries,” Diboua stated.
Witnesses told AFP that security forces fired live bullets after using tear gas to disperse the crowd. “They fired, three people, three bodies fell in front of us,” one demonstrator said anonymously.
Despite mounting criticism, Biya, who has ruled the Central African nation since 1982, is set to continue as Africa’s oldest serving head of state. He remains only the second person to govern Cameroon since its independence from France in 1960.
Critics accuse Biya of tightening his hold on the country through repressive tactics, silencing dissent, and manipulating institutions to maintain power. His government, however, insists that the election was peaceful and transparent.
Biya’s latest victory extends his presidency by another seven years, despite growing economic hardship, political discontent, and ongoing separatist tensions in the country’s English-speaking regions.
