The streets of Cameroon erupted into chaos this week as citizens across multiple cities took their frustrations to the streets, challenging what many believe to be a predetermined electoral outcome. With the final vote count approaching its conclusion, the Central African nation finds itself at a critical crossroads, caught between decades of entrenched power and a surging opposition demanding change.
In the predawn hours of Tuesday, October 21, protesters flooded the streets of Yaounde, the nation’s capital, alongside demonstrations in Garoua, Douala, and several other urban centers. Security forces responded swiftly, deploying tear gas to disperse crowds and arresting more than 20 individuals in what authorities described as efforts to maintain order. However, observers paint a different picture—one of a government scrambling to contain public anger over allegations that electoral officials manipulated vote tallies to favor the incumbent.
At the center of this controversy stands 92 year old President Paul Biya, who has governed Cameroon since 1982, making him one of Africa’s longest serving leaders. Now seeking an eighth term in office, Biya faces his most significant electoral challenge yet from Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister and longtime ally who broke ranks earlier this year to mount an opposition campaign that captured the imagination of many Cameroonians hungry for transformation.
Tchiroma claimed victory days after the October 12 vote, asserting he secured the presidency with approximately 54.8 percent of ballots cast. His declaration, however, remains unverified by the Constitutional Council, the body tasked with certifying election results. Nevertheless, Tchiroma’s supporters have taken to the streets in growing numbers, convinced their candidate genuinely won but that the outcome is being stolen through systematic fraud.
The government’s response has been uncompromising and severe. Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji announced that detained protesters would face military tribunals on charges including insurrection and incitement to rebellion, a move that signals the administration’s determination to crush dissent through intimidation and force. The heavy handed approach has only deepened the chasm between the ruling establishment and ordinary citizens who feel their voices have been systematically silenced.
Minister of Territorial Administration Gives warning to protesters
Among the casualties of this escalating conflict, reports emerged of at least two deaths during the demonstrations. In Garoua, Tchiroma’s hometown in northern Cameroon, a teacher was reportedly struck by stray bullets as security forces clashed with demonstrators demanding transparency and accountability. The incident underscores the dangerous trajectory of events in a country already grappling with a deadly separatist insurgency in its western regions.
Adding to the controversy, internet access across major Cameroonian cities has been significantly disrupted since Wednesday evening, affecting both mobile and fixed line services. While state owned telecommunications operator Camtel attributed the outages to a damaged undersea cable, independent monitoring organizations including NetBlocks recorded sharp drops in connectivity that coincided suspiciously with the postponement of official results and intensifying protests.
Digital rights advocates and opposition figures have dismissed the technical explanation as implausible, pointing instead to the government’s history of shutting down internet access during politically sensitive moments. In 2017, authorities imposed a 94 day internet blackout in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions during protests over linguistic and cultural marginalization, an action that eventually contributed to the ongoing armed separatist conflict plaguing those areas today.
The current connectivity restrictions are hampering journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens attempting to document events as they unfold. Business operations have ground to a halt in many sectors, with banking services, e commerce platforms, and educational institutions all reporting significant disruptions. More critically, the information vacuum created by limited internet access makes it nearly impossible for Cameroonians to know what is genuinely happening in their own country.
Civil society organizations and religious leaders across Cameroon have called for calm while simultaneously warning that the electoral crisis exposes deeper, longstanding grievances. Decades of poverty, chronic corruption despite abundant natural resources like oil and minerals, and the political marginalization of regions including the Far North have created a powder keg of resentment that this election has ignited.
The Constitutional Council dismissed eight petitions challenging the election results earlier this week, citing lack of sufficient evidence, clearing the way for what most analysts expect will be an official declaration of Biya’s victory. The announcement, originally scheduled for October 23, has been postponed until Monday, October 27, prolonging the uncertainty and giving opposition supporters more time to organize resistance.
Throughout the campaign period, election observers reported numerous irregularities including attempted ballot stuffing, missing ballots, and outdated voter registration rolls. Opposition parties and civic monitoring groups documented what they described as systematic efforts to disenfranchise voters in areas where Tchiroma enjoyed strong support, particularly in the northern regions and among younger, urban populations frustrated with the status quo.
For many Cameroonians, particularly those born after Biya assumed power 43 years ago, this election represented a rare opportunity to experience political transition. The prospect of that change being snatched away through what they perceive as manipulation has triggered an outpouring of emotion that transcends typical electoral disappointment. These are citizens who have never known another leader, who have watched their country’s vast potential squandered by entrenched elites, and who see in Tchiroma’s candidacy not just another politician but a symbol of possible renewal.
The international community has largely remained silent as events unfold, though regional bodies including the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States will be watching closely as official results are announced. How Cameroon navigates this crisis could have implications far beyond its borders, potentially affecting stability in a region already struggling with conflicts, terrorism, and democratic backsliding.
As Monday approaches, Cameroon stands divided. Government loyalists insist that Biya has legitimately won another mandate and that protesters are being manipulated by unscrupulous opposition figures seeking to destabilize the country. Opposition supporters, meanwhile, believe they are fighting for democracy itself against a gerontocratic regime determined to cling to power regardless of the popular will.
The coming days will determine whether Cameroon can find a peaceful resolution to this crisis or whether the country descends into deeper turmoil. With security forces on high alert, communication channels restricted, and citizens on both sides convinced of the righteousness of their cause, the ingredients for catastrophe are disturbingly present. What began as an election has transformed into a referendum on Cameroon’s future—whether it will continue down its current path or finally break free from the past that has held it captive for more than four decades.ions explode? ?? #CameroonElection #Democracy
