Cameroonian Opposition Leader to Face Legal Action Regarding Election Unrest, Government Declares
The nation's Minister of the Interior Paul Atanga Nji has declared that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will be prosecuted over claims that he provoked "aggressive election protests".
A minimum of four demonstrators have been lost their lives during skirmishes between police and military and demonstrators since the presidential election on October 12, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya obtaining an eighth term in office.
Tchiroma Bakary asserts that he was the true winner, a assertion disputed by the incumbent party, the CPDM.
Forceful measures by law enforcement on demonstrators have alarmed the world leaders, with the UN, AU and European Union urging caution.
Official's Claims
Recently, Nji alleged the opposition figure of organising what he referred to as "unauthorized" rallies causing the loss of lives, and also criticised him for announcing success in the election.
He further stated that the opposition leader's "associates involved in an insurrectionary plan" will also be prosecuted.
Election Results
Paul Biya, who took control in the early 80s and is now the oldest serving president, secured the October 12 vote with a majority of the ballots, compared to just over a third for Tchiroma Bakary, according to the electoral authority.
Opposition Response
The opposition figure is has not yet commented to the government's decision to prosecute him, but he had earlier announced that he rejected a fraudulent outcome - and that he was fearless of being detained.
When results were announced, he said that gunmen shot on demonstrators present near his house in Garoua, causing the death of at least 2 individuals.
Inquiry Revealed
On Tuesday, the interior minister announced that an investigation would be launched into unrest surrounding the publication of the vote outcome.
"During these attacks, some of the individuals involved lost their lives," he stated, without giving a precise figure of protesters who have been lost their lives in the incidents.
The minister noted that a number of officers of the security forces also received serious injuries.
Ongoing Circumstances
Although the interior minister insisted the state of affairs throughout Cameroon was now under control, demonstrators remain active in some parts of the nation, especially in these two cities, where demonstrators mounted barricades on Tuesday, and set fire to tyres on the streets.
Experts warn that the post-electoral violence could plunge the nation into a leadership vacuum.