Cameroon’s opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, says he will continue to reject the results of this month’s presidential election until he secures the “final victory” over incumbent President Paul Biya.
Biya, the world’s oldest state leader at 92, has ruled Cameroon since 1982. His victory in the October 12 election, announced on Monday, has deepened tensions in the cocoa and oil-producing nation, where critics accuse him of using state institutions to cling to power.
On Wednesday morning, supporters of Tchiroma a former government spokesperson turned Biya rival, again took to the streets of the economic capital Douala, which were still strewn with debris and burnt tyres after days of unrest.
In other parts of the usually bustling city, businesses began to gradually reopen after being closed due to protests and the unrest, while traffic remained sparse.
“The truth of the ballot is clear. We won this election by a large majority. This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to the Cameroonian people,” Tchiroma said late on Tuesday in his first public address since the Constitutional Council confirmed Biya’s win.
“We remain united, mobilised, and will continue to resist until the final victory.”
The council’s decision is final and not subject to appeal.
Other opposition leaders have alleged widespread fraud, accusations rejected by the government.
