Cameroon Opposition Leader Confronts Legal Proceedings Over Electoral Turmoil, Authorities Announces
Cameroon's Interior Minister the interior minister has announced that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will be prosecuted over claims that he incited "aggressive post-election demonstrations".
At least 4 protesters have been killed during confrontations between police and military and protesters since Cameroon's election on October 12, with the 92-year-old head of state obtaining an eighth presidential mandate.
The opposition leader asserts that he emerged victorious, a assertion dismissed by the governing party, the CPDM.
Aggressive responses by security personnel on demonstrators have worried the world leaders, with the United Nations, AU and European Union demanding restraint.
Minister's Allegations
Earlier this week, the interior minister alleged the opposition figure of coordinating what he labeled "unlawful" rallies causing the loss of lives, and also criticised him for announcing success in the presidential race.
He noted that the opposition leader's "accomplices responsible for an subversive plot" will also undergo judicial processes.
Poll Figures
The president, who assumed office in the early 80s and is now the most elderly national leader, won the October 12 election with 53.7% of the votes, compared to a significant minority for the challenger, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.
Challenger's Position
Tchiroma Bakary is yet to respond to the government's decision to bring him to court, but he had before stated that he rejected a fraudulent outcome - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.
On election result day, he said that armed men opened fire on demonstrators gathered near his home in Garoua, fatally wounding at least two civilians.
Investigation Launched
Recently, the government official revealed that an inquiry would be initiated into violent incidents before and after the publication of the vote outcome.
"During these attacks, some of the criminals were killed," he stated, without providing a exact count of demonstrators who have been lost their lives in the clashes.
Nji further mentioned that multiple personnel of the police and military also suffered significant wounds.
Ongoing Circumstances
While Nji insisted the condition nationwide was now under control, protesters continue to protest in some parts of the nation, especially in Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators set up barricades on that day, and burnt tyres on the thoroughfares.
Observers warn that the election-related unrest could lead the nation into a governmental instability.