Four people have been killed in Cameroon during protests led by supporters of opposition figure Issa Tchiroma Bakary. The unrest happened in Douala, the country’s economic capital, as Cameroon awaits the official results of its presidential election.
The governor of the Littoral region, where Douala is located, said the deaths and several injuries were recorded on Sunday.
Young attackers “under the influence of drugs and driven by a criminal spirit [...] tried to storm a gendarmerie brigade and a police station”, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua said in a statement.
Authorities have launched an investigation.
Supporters of Tchiroma Bakary had gathered after he called for peaceful mobilisation. He claims victory in the 12 October vote and wants his supporters to show their strength in the streets.
Bakary is challenging President Paul Biya’s 43-year hold on power. The ruling CPDM party has dismissed the claims that he won.
The Constitutional Council is set to announce the official results on Monday morning.
Cameroon opposition leaders arrested as protests erupt over contested elections
Demands for 'the truth'
Trouble was reported near Douala Airport and in the New Bell district. Local authorities did not identify the victims.
Crowds also formed in several other neighbourhoods. In Dakar, Village and Bonamoussadi, people came out by the hundreds to demand “the truth of the ballot boxes”, RFI correspondent Richard Onanena reported.
The city of Nkongsanba also saw tension.
The biggest crowds gathered in the north of the country. Thousands of supporters rallied in Garoua and Maroua, singing in support of their candidate. There were also marches in Kondengui.
In the capital Yaoundé the day was calmer, but incidents were reported in the Mokolo and Tsinga districts in early evening. Those areas are not far from the presidency.
Cameroon heads to the polls as Biya faces off against a divided opposition
Arrests and security
Across the country, four of Cameroon’s 10 regions were particularly affected and around 10 towns followed the call to mobilise.
The Ministry of Territorial Administration said 106 administrative arrests took place. It did not give details about where this happened or the reasons for the detentions.
Authorities kept police and gendarmes deployed through the night. They said the security presence would stay in place until Monday morning, when the election result is due to be declared.
