Six Protesters Murdered in Cameroon
Featured image: Thousands march in Garoua, Cameroon on Sunday 26th of October. Source: AFP
Presidential elections were held on 12 October in Cameroon, where the long-time ruler President Paul Biya, was declared the winner. That means that Biya will be the president for the upcoming seven years, although he is already 92 years old. Protests erupted and escalated after harsh repression.
His opponent, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government spokesman and former minister of employment, broke ranks with Biya to challenge him for power. He did not accept the results announced by Biya and disputed the outcome of the elections, instead claiming himself the victor of the elections. Protests erupted in many cities of the country.
Two protesters were shot and murdered at the beginning of the demonstrations. Tchiroma tried to control the protests by urging his followers to demonstrate peacefully, but now the Cameroonian people take to the streets not just against a new electoral farce, but also against poverty, repression and corruption. In the recent elections, the turnout was only at 46.3 percent, showing clearly that the Cameroonian people have no trust in the elections.
Despite being rich in resources such as oil and cocoa, Cameroon stands out for its poverty and rampant corruption. Cameroon is currently affected by an economic crisis, where the youth faces an unemployment rate of over 35 percent. High cost of living, the bad condition of infrastructure such as roads, hospitals or education, are other problems that the Cameroonian people faces.
The State has cut off internet in several locations of the country amid the protests, leaving millions of users offline, affecting especially the capital, Yaoundé, and also the city of Douala.
More than 30 politicians and activists linked to the opposition have been arrested. Despite this repression the protests continued and motorcyclists flooded major roads in Bafoussam, the capital of the West Region on Saturday. There were also calls for mobilizations on Sunday, when thousands took to the streets in Douala, Garoua, Maroua and other cities. Strong clashes erupted near Douala Airport, where four protesters were shot and murdered.
So far six protesters have been murdered and 106 have been arrested. The State has deployed a heavy police and military presence since yesterday and many scenes of arbitrary repression have been seen in the past days.
