The government of Cameroon has announced that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action following post-election unrest that has resulted in fatalities and mass arrests. Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji confirmed that the move is in response to allegations that Mr. Tchiroma Bakary incited “violent post-election demonstrations” after the October 12 presidential poll, which saw 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya secure an eighth consecutive term.

In an address on Tuesday, Minister Nji accused the leader of the Cameroon National Salvation Front of organising what he termed “illegal” protests that led to the loss of lives. He also criticised the opposition figure for unilaterally declaring himself the winner of the election. The minister added that Mr. Tchiroma Bakary’s “accomplices responsible for an insurrectionary plan” will also face legal action.

At least four protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces since the election. The Interior Minister stated that an investigation would be launched into the violent incidents, revealing that “During these attacks, some of the criminals lost their lives,” and noting that several members of the security forces had also sustained serious injuries. Furthermore, authorities have announced that over 20 detained protesters will be tried before a military tribunal, facing “serious charges, including incitement to rebellion and insurrection,” according to Mr. Nji.

Opposition Rejects Result

Mr. Tchiroma Bakary has rejected the official outcome, insisting that he won the presidential race and claiming that the vote was manipulated. Before the government’s decision to prosecute, Mr. Tchiroma Bakary had informed the BBC that “he would not accept a stolen vote – and that he was not afraid of being arrested.”

His party, the Cameroon National Salvation Front, has vehemently disputed the results, arguing that the Constitutional Council would be “complicit in a breach of trust” if it validated the outcome. Mr. Tchiroma Bakary stated that “The vast majority of the Cameroonian people will never accept that the council validates the historic scale of ballot stuffing and falsification.” He also alleged that on election result day, armed men opened fire on protesters near his residence in Garoua, fatally wounding at least two civilians.

President Biya’s ruling party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), has dismissed the opposition’s claims as a “grotesque hoax.”