Biya declared victor of Cameroon election: Why deadly protests broke out

A crackdown by equipped forces successful Cameroon has killed astatine slightest 4 absorption supporters amid protests implicit the declared re-election win by President Paul Biya.

Protesters calling for just results from the African country’s contested statesmanlike election held connected October 12 person deed the streets successful respective cities arsenic 92-year-old Biya prepares for an eighth term, which could support him successful powerfulness until 2032 arsenic helium nears 100.

Biya, whose predetermination triumph was yet confirmed by Cameroon’s Constitutional Council connected Monday, is Africa’s oldest and among the world’s longest ruling leaders. He has spent 43 years – astir fractional his beingness – successful office. He has ruled Cameroon, a state of 30 cardinal people, arsenic president since 1982 done elections that governmental opponents said person been “stolen”.

Cameroonian President Paul Biya casts his ballot arsenic his wife, Chantal, watches during the statesmanlike predetermination successful Yaounde, Cameroon, connected October 12, 2025 [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters]

What’s down the deadly protests?

Supporters of absorption campaigner Issa Tchiroma Bakary of the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon enactment person defied a prohibition connected protests, mounting constabulary cars connected fire, barricading roads and burning tyres successful the fiscal capital, Douala, earlier the announcement of the predetermination result. Around 30 activists person been arrested.

Police fired teardrop state and h2o cannon to interruption up the crowds that came retired successful enactment of Tchiroma, who had declared himself the existent winner, and called for Biya to concede.

Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, the politician of the portion that includes Douala, told the AFP quality bureau that the protesters attacked constabulary stations successful the 2nd and sixth districts of the city.

Several members of the information forces were wounded, and “four radical unluckily mislaid their lives,” helium said. Tchiroma’s run squad confirmed the deaths connected Sunday were of protesters.

Opposition supporters assertion the results of the predetermination person been rigged by Biya and his supporters successful power. In the lead-up to the announcement of the result, the existent authorities rejected these accusations and urged radical to hold for the result.

Who is the main absorption successful Cameroon?

The Union for Change is simply a conjugation of absorption parties that formed successful September to antagonistic Biya’s dominance of the governmental landscape.

The forum brought unneurotic much than 2 twelve governmental parties and civilian nine groups successful absorption to Biya with an purpose to tract a statement candidate.

In September, the radical confirmed Tchiroma arsenic its statement campaigner to tally against Biya.

Tchiroma, 76, was formerly portion of Biya’s government, holding respective ministerial positions implicit 16 years. He besides served arsenic authorities spokesperson during the years of warring the Boko Haram equipped group, and helium defended the service erstwhile it stood accused of sidesplitting civilians. He was erstwhile regarded arsenic a subordinate of Biya’s “old guard” but has campaigned connected a committedness of “change”.

What happened aft the election?

After voting ended connected October 12, Tchiroma claimed victory.

“Our triumph is clear. It indispensable beryllium respected,” helium said successful a video connection posted connected Facebook. He called connected Biya to “accept the information of the ballot box” oregon “plunge the state into turmoil”.

Tchiroma claimed that helium had won the predetermination with 55 percent of the vote. More than 8 cardinal radical were registered to ballot successful the election.

On Monday, however, the Constitutional Council announced Biya arsenic the victor with 53.66 percent of the vote.

It said Tchiroma was the runner-up with 35.19 percent.

Announcing the results connected Monday, the council’s leader, Clement Atangana, said the electoral process was “peaceful” and criticised the absorption for “anticipating the result”.

Members of the information forces detain a protagonist of Cameroonian statesmanlike campaigner Issa Tchiroma Bakary during a protestation successful Douala connected October 26, 2025 [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters]

What are the main criticisms of Biya?

Under Biya’s rule, Cameroon has struggled with myriad challenges, including chronic corruption that critics accidental has dampened economical maturation contempt the state being affluent successful resources specified arsenic lipid and cocoa.

The president, who has clinched wins successful 8 heavy contested elections held each 7 years, is renowned for his absenteeism arsenic helium reportedly spends extended periods distant from the country.

The 92-year-old appeared astatine conscionable 1 run rally successful the lead-up to this month’s predetermination erstwhile helium promised voters that “the champion is inactive to come.”

He and his entourage are often distant connected backstage oregon aesculapian attraction trips to Switzerland. An probe successful 2018 by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project recovered Biya had spent astatine slightest 1,645 days (nearly 4 and a fractional years) successful the European country, excluding authoritative visits, since being successful power.

Under Biya, absorption politicians person often accused electoral authorities of colluding with the president to rig elections. In 2008, parliament voted to region the bounds connected the fig of presumption a president whitethorn serve.

Before the election, the Constitutional Council barred different fashionable absorption candidate, Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, from running.

Some absorption leaders and their supporters person been detained by constabulary connected a slew of charges, including plotting violence.

On Friday, 2 salient leaders, Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni of the Union for Change, were arrested.

The African Movement for New Independence and Democracy enactment besides said its treasurer and different members had been “kidnapped” by section information forces, a determination it claimed was designed “to intimidate Cameroonians”.

Analysts besides said Biya’s clasp connected powerfulness could pb to instability erstwhile helium yet goes.

What is the information concern successful Cameroon?

Since 2015, attacks by the equipped group, Boko Haram, person go much and much predominant successful the Far North Region of the country.

Furthermore, since gaining independency successful 1960 from French rule, Cameroon has struggled with struggle rooted successful the country’s heavy linguistic and governmental divisions, which developed erstwhile French- and English-speaking regions were merged into a azygous state.

French is the authoritative language, and Anglophone Cameroonians successful the northwest and southwest person felt progressively marginalised by the Francophone-dominated authorities successful Yaounde.

Their grievances – implicit language, education, courts and organisation of resources – turned into wide protests successful 2016 erstwhile teachers and lawyers demanded adjacent designation of English-language institutions.

The authorities responded with arrests and net blackouts, and the concern yet built up to an equipped separatist conflict for an autarkic authorities called Ambazonia.

The caller statesmanlike predetermination was the archetypal to instrumentality spot since the struggle intensified. Armed separatists person barred the Anglophone colonisation from participating successful government-organised activities, specified arsenic National Day celebrations and elections.

As a result, the Southwest and Northwest regions saw wide abstention successful voting connected October 12 with a 53 percent turnout. The highest stock of votes, according to the authoritative results, went to Biya: 68.7 percent and 86.31 percent successful the 2 regions, respectively.

People locomotion past motorcycle taxi riders on a muddy roadworthy successful Douala, Cameroon, connected October 4, 2025 [Reuters]

What volition hap now?

Protests are apt to spread, observers said.

After the deaths of 4 protesters earlier the results were announced, Tchiroma paid tribute “to those who fell to the bullets of a authorities that has go transgression during a peaceful march”.

He called connected Biya’s authorities to “stop these acts of barbarity, these killings and arbitrary arrests”.

“Tell the information of the ballots, oregon we volition each mobilise and march peacefully,” helium said.