Cameroon Political Opposition Figure Faces Legal Proceedings Concerning Post-Election Violence, Government Says
The nation's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has announced that political opponent Issa Tchiroma Bakary will be prosecuted over accusations that he provoked "aggressive electoral rallies".
No fewer than 4 protesters have been lost their lives during clashes between law enforcement and opposition supporters since Cameroon's election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya obtaining an eighth presidential mandate.
Tchiroma Bakary maintains that he was the true winner, a assertion disputed by the governing party, the ruling CPDM.
Violent crackdowns by law enforcement on demonstrators have concerned the global community, with the United Nations, African Union and European Union calling for caution.
Official's Allegations
On Tuesday, Nji charged Tchiroma Bakary of coordinating what he referred to as "unauthorized" demonstrations leading to the loss of lives, and also criticised him for claiming win in the presidential race.
He further stated that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices responsible for an subversive plot" will also be prosecuted.
Poll Figures
The president, who took control in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, secured the 12 October election with a majority of the ballots, compared to just over a third for the challenger, according to the electoral authority.
Opposition Response
The opposition figure is yet to respond to the government's decision to prosecute him, but he had before declared that he rejected a fraudulent outcome - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.
On election result day, he reported that armed men opened fire on demonstrators assembled near his house in the city of Garoua, killing at least 2 people.
Probe Announced
Earlier this week, the interior minister announced that an investigation would be started into clashes before and after the publication of the election results.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the individuals involved lost their lives," he said, without offering a precise figure of protesters who have been fatally injured in the incidents.
The minister added that a number of members of the law enforcement also suffered significant wounds.
Present Conditions
While Nji insisted the situation throughout Cameroon was now under control, protesters are still demonstrating in various areas of the nation, especially in Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators set up roadblocks on that day, and ignited tires on the thoroughfares.
Analysts warn that the election-related unrest could push the country into a governmental instability.
