Cameroonian Political Opposition Leader Confronts Legal Proceedings Over Post-Election Violence, Authorities Declares
Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has declared that opposition leader Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over accusations that he provoked "violent post-election demonstrations".
No fewer than four demonstrators have been fatally wounded during skirmishes between law enforcement and demonstrators since the electoral process on October 12, with the 92-year-old head of state winning an eighth consecutive term.
The opposition leader asserts that he emerged victorious, a assertion dismissed by the governing party, the CPDM.
Aggressive responses by police and security officers on protesters have worried the international community, with the UN, African Union and European Union urging caution.
Official's Accusations
On Tuesday, the interior minister accused the opposition figure of planning what he described as "illegal" demonstrations causing the deaths, and also rebuked him for announcing success in the presidential race.
He noted that the opposition leader's "co-conspirators involved in an subversive plot" will also be prosecuted.
Vote Outcome
Cameroon's leader, who came to power in 1982 and is now the world's oldest head of state, secured the October 12 presidential election with over half of the vote, compared to a significant minority for Tchiroma Bakary, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.
Leader's Stance
The opposition figure is has not yet commented to the authorities' move to try him, but he had earlier stated that he would not accept a stolen vote - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.
When results were announced, he reported that armed men shot on demonstrators gathered near his house in the city of Garoua, killing at least two people.
Probe Launched
On Tuesday, the government official announced that an probe would be launched into violent incidents before and after the declaration of the election results.
"During these attacks, some of the individuals involved lost their lives," he stated, without giving a precise figure of demonstrators who have been lost their lives in the confrontations.
Nji noted that a number of officers of the police and military also sustained major harm.
Present Conditions
Even though the interior minister insisted the situation throughout Cameroon was now stable, demonstrators continue to protest in certain regions of the nation, especially in these two cities, where protesters established roadblocks on Tuesday, and burnt tires on the roads.
Observers warn that the post-electoral violence could plunge the country into a governmental instability.