Cameroon Detains Opposition Figures Ahead Of Presidential Results

Cameroonian authorities have detained approximately 30 politicians and activists associated with opposition presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma, as announced by his campaign on Sunday.

This crackdown heightens tensions ahead of Monday’s announcement of the results from the October 12 election.

Among those detained are Anicet Ekane, the leader of the MANIDEM party, and Djeukam Tchameni, a prominent figure in the Union for Change movement, both of whom supported Tchiroma’s candidacy.

The arrests have occurred amid increasing violence between security forces and Tchiroma’s supporters in the cocoa- and oil-producing Central African nation. Tchiroma has called for further nationwide protests on Sunday at 1400 GMT.

Paul Atanga Nji, Cameroon’s interior minister, confirmed during a press conference on Saturday that arrests were made in connection with what he described as an “insurrectional movement,” although he did not disclose the identities or total number of detainees.

“Calls for protests by certain politicians obsessed with power undoubtedly create conditions for a security crisis and contribute to the implementation of the insurrection scheme,” Nji stated.

In a post on his campaign’s Facebook page on Sunday, Tchiroma rejected the accusations of insurrection and alleged that government officials had previously attempted to negotiate with some of those arrested before detaining them.

“They refused your proposals, and now you arrest them? When you were seeking to negotiate with them, they were not terrorists?” Tchiroma wrote.

Tchiroma, a former minister and once an ally of President Paul Biya, has claimed victory in the election and stated he will not accept any other outcome. Protests have erupted in several cities over the past week after partial election results reported by local media indicated that Biya was on course to be declared the winner.

At 92, Biya has been in power in Cameroon since 1982 and is currently the world’s oldest ruling president; he could continue for another seven years if the Constitutional Council declares him the winner on Monday.