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Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, has been re-elected for another seven-year term, extending his 43-year rule despite widespread allegations of electoral malpractice and growing unrest across the country.
The 92-year-old leader, who first assumed power in 1982, was declared winner with 53.7 percent of the vote by the Constitutional Council on Monday. His closest challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister and one-time Biya ally, secured 35.2 percent.
The election was marred by violent clashes, mass arrests, and accusations of ballot manipulation. Security forces reportedly killed at least four people and detained over 100 protesters in Douala on Sunday, as opposition supporters defied bans on demonstrations to reject the results.
Tchiroma, who had declared himself the rightful winner based on unofficial tallies from his campaign, accused the government of voter intimidation, ballot-stuffing, and tampering. He said he narrowly escaped an alleged plot to arrest him and called on his supporters to “remain vigilant.”
International observers raised concerns about the credibility of the polls. Several European Union diplomats boycotted the official results announcement in Yaoundé, though representatives from Russia and Turkey were in attendance.
Experts say Biya’s victory underscores the fragility of democracy in the central African nation, where power has long been concentrated in the presidency. “Biya now has a notably shaky mandate given many of his own citizens don’t believe he won the election,” said Murithi Mutiga, Africa programme director at the International Crisis Group, urging dialogue to prevent further unrest.
Reports suggest that Biya’s camp offered Tchiroma the position of prime minister in post-election negotiations, but the opposition candidate rejected the proposal, insisting the presidency was rightfully his.
Meanwhile, regional tensions continue to rise as other ageing leaders, such as Ivory Coast’s 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara, pursue controversial extensions of power, fueling concerns about democratic backsliding across West and Central Africa.
