Paul Biya, 92, has once again proclaimed himself “winner” of the October 12 presidential election in Cameroon, extending his 43-year rule amid nationwide anger and deadly protests. The announcement, confirmed by the regime’s Constitutional Council with claimed figures of 53.66% for Biya and 35.19% for opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has sparked outrage across the country.
In Douala, Yaoundé, Dschang, Banja, Bafang, Bertoua, Garoua, and other major towns, protesters took to the streets to denounce what they call a stolen election. Security forces responded with live bullets, tear gas, and mass arrests. At least four people were killed and several others injured as police clashed with demonstrators demanding justice and transparency.
Tchiroma, who declared himself the true winner with 55% of the votes, accused Biya’s regime of manipulating results and warned that refusing the people’s verdict would plunge the nation into chaos. His supporters defied protest bans, torching police vehicles and blocking roads as anger boiled over.
Analysts say the protests reflect growing frustration under Biya’s decades-long authoritarian rule, marked by corruption, repression, and economic decline. In the Anglophone regions, now known to many as Ambazonia, people boycotted the vote entirely, rejecting Yaoundé’s authority and denouncing what they call continued colonial occupation.
The deadly unrest following Biya’s declared “victory” shows a country on edge, with calls for resistance spreading as the old regime clings to power through force and fear.
By Lucas Muma
