In the wake of the highly disputed October presidential election in Cameroon, where the long-time ruler Paul Biya was declared winner by the Constitutional Council (Cameroon), citing over 53% of the vote, the streets have seen the uprising of hundreds of thousands across major cities such as Douala, Bafoussam, Garoua, Maroua and beyond; cries of “justice for Issa Tchiroma Bakary” and “down with Biya’s stolen victory” echo among the Ambazonia-inspired protestors. The reaction from global players has begun to pour in, accusing the Biya regime of using brutal force to clamp down on dissent in an increasingly authoritarian “colonial”-style rule.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has publicly called for an independent investigation into reports that dozens of protestors have been killed, hundreds detained, and mass arrests carried out by state security forces in various cities. Meanwhile, the European Union has issued statements condemning the violence and urging respect for human rights, calling on the Cameroonian government to allow access for monitors and release political detainees. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also denounced what they describe as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture and the silencing of dissent, hallmarks of the repressive apparatus sustained by the Biya regime
According to opposition sources, more than 20 protestors have been killed in places like Douala, Garoua, Maroua and Bafoussam, with hundreds more brutally taken into custody as the security forces sweep into neighbourhoods, arresting young men, political activists, and anyone seen as daring to challenge the official result. While precise independent figures remain contested, the wave of arrests has left detention centres overwhelmed and fear running high among Ambazonian-aligned protestors and civil society. The crackdown is being framed by many as the final act of a “colonial regime” in Yaoundé: Biya’s decades-old rule is described as unyielding and intolerant of dissent, using heavy‐handed force to suppress the Ambazonia-aligned Anglophone protest movement and broader democratic uprising.
Frustrated Cameroonians, particularly in the Anglophone regions and Ambazonia diaspora, are openly declaring the election stolen, demanding that Issa Tchiroma Bakary be restored as the rightful winner. They accuse Biya and his network of manipulating the electoral machinery, riding on a system rigged to ensure his continued grip on power for 43 years. The international community’s reaction, while growing louder, is being viewed in Ambazonia circles as overdue; many lament that the world sat idly by while the Anglophone crisis festered. Now, with mass protests in major cities and a renewed global spotlight, there are renewed calls for sanctions, for monitoring, and for accountability.
The UN, EU and rights watchdogs are calling for the immediate cessation of violence, the unconditional release of political prisoners, full transparency in investigations, and genuine dialogue with the opposition and Ambazonian representatives. Whether Biya’s regime will heed these calls remains uncertain, but for the people of Ambazonia and all Cameroonians yearning for change, the pressure is rising both at home and abroad.
By Lucas Muma
