Cameroonian Opposition Leader Faces Court Action Over Post-Election Violence, Authorities Announces
The nation's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has stated that political opponent Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over claims that he instigated "violent post-election demonstrations".
No fewer than 4 protesters have been fatally wounded during confrontations between law enforcement and opposition supporters since Cameroon's election on October 12, with the 92-year-old head of state winning an eighth presidential mandate.
The opposition leader maintains that he won the election, a assertion rejected by the governing party, the ruling CPDM.
Forceful measures by police and security officers on demonstrators have worried the international community, with the United Nations, AU and European Union demanding restraint.
Minister's Accusations
On Tuesday, the interior minister charged Tchiroma Bakary of planning what he described as "unlawful" protests causing the loss of lives, and also condemned him for declaring victory in the presidential race.
He noted that Tchiroma Bakary's "associates involved in an insurrectionary plan" will also undergo judicial processes.
Vote Outcome
The president, who took control in the early 80s and is now the world's oldest head of state, won the October 12 presidential election with over half of the vote, compared to a significant minority for the challenger, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.
Opposition Response
Tchiroma Bakary is remains silent to the official announcement to try him, but he had previously declared that he refused to acknowledge a fraudulent outcome - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.
On election result day, he reported that armed men shot on protesters gathered near his house in Garoua, killing at least 2 individuals.
Investigation Launched
Recently, the interior minister revealed that an investigation would be started into clashes surrounding the declaration of the vote outcome.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the perpetrators lost their lives," he said, without giving a specific number of protesters who have been fatally injured in the confrontations.
Nji further mentioned that several personnel of the security forces also sustained significant wounds.
Present Conditions
Although the interior minister maintained the condition throughout Cameroon was now manageable, demonstrators are still demonstrating in various areas of the nation, especially in urban centers, where demonstrators established obstructions on Tuesday, and ignited rubber on the roads.
Observers warn that the post-electoral violence could lead the country into a leadership vacuum.
