Tensions are mounting across Cameroon following the declaration of 92-year-old President Paul Biya as the winner of the October presidential election, a result opposition leaders have fiercely rejected.
The nation’s Constitutional Council upheld Biya’s victory this week, cementing his hold on power for another seven-year term and extending a rule that has already surpassed four decades. Biya, the world’s oldest sitting head of state, now faces mounting public anger in a country grappling with poverty, corruption, and soaring youth unemployment.
Opposition supporters insist the vote was manipulated in Biya’s favor, sparking demonstrations in major cities. In the port city of Douala, a resident said, “The youth are out to reclaim their votes that were stolen. We can clearly see that Issa Tchiroma Bakary won the election, but the government denies it.”
Another protester voiced her frustration, saying, “People are not happy, and they’re right. We’ve been suffering for 43 years. Children are jobless, people can’t afford food or healthcare. We’re fed up.”
Unrest first broke out in mid-October when opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary declared himself the winner before official results were announced. Since then, protests have spread from Yaoundé to Douala and other cities, with security forces clashing with demonstrators. Dozens have been injured or killed, and hundreds more arrested, as calls intensify for an independent review of the election results.
Cameroon now stands at a tense crossroads, with growing uncertainty over how long Biya’s government can contain public outrage in a nation yearning for political change.
