Cameroonian Opposition Figure to Face Legal Proceedings Concerning Post-Election Violence, Government Says
Cameroon's Minister of the Interior Paul Atanga Nji has declared that political opponent Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over allegations that he provoked "aggressive post-election demonstrations".
At least four protesters have been fatally wounded during clashes between police and military and protesters since the electoral process on 12 October, with the 92-year-old head of state obtaining an eighth term in office.
The opposition leader asserts that he emerged victorious, a statement disputed by the governing party, the CPDM.
Aggressive responses by security personnel on demonstrators have concerned the global community, with the United Nations, AU and EU demanding restraint.
Minister's Claims
Recently, Nji charged Tchiroma Bakary of coordinating what he labeled "unlawful" rallies causing the deaths, and also rebuked him for claiming win in the election.
He added that the opposition leader's "accomplices behind an rebellious scheme" will also undergo judicial processes.
Vote Outcome
The president, who came to power in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, secured the October 12 presidential election with 53.7% of the ballots, compared to 35.2% for the challenger, according to the electoral authority.
Challenger's Position
The opposition figure is has not yet commented to the official announcement to prosecute him, but he had earlier declared that he refused to acknowledge a rigged election - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.
Following the vote count, he claimed that armed men used lethal force on demonstrators assembled near his house in the city of Garoua, killing at least 2 people.
Inquiry Revealed
On Tuesday, the interior minister announced that an inquiry would be launched into unrest surrounding the announcement of the poll figures.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the perpetrators lost their lives," he stated, without offering a exact count of protesters who have been killed in the clashes.
Nji further mentioned that a number of personnel of the police and military also received significant wounds.
Current Situation
Although the interior minister insisted the situation throughout Cameroon was now manageable, demonstrators remain active in some parts of the nation, especially in these two cities, where protesters set up obstructions on that day, and ignited tires on the thoroughfares.
Observers caution that the election-related unrest could plunge the nation into a governmental instability.