Cameroon Opposition Figure Confronts Court Action Regarding Post-Election Violence, Government Declares
The nation's Minister of the Interior Paul Atanga Nji has announced that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over accusations that he provoked "aggressive post-election demonstrations".
A minimum of four protesters have been killed during clashes between police and military and opposition supporters since the presidential election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya obtaining an eighth presidential mandate.
Issa Tchiroma asserts that he was the true winner, a statement disputed by the incumbent party, the CPDM.
Forceful measures by security personnel on protesters have worried the world leaders, with the United Nations, AU and EU urging restraint.
Official's Claims
On Tuesday, the interior minister alleged the opposition figure of coordinating what he labeled "unauthorized" protests causing the deaths, and also condemned him for announcing success in the election.
He added that Tchiroma Bakary's "associates involved in an subversive plot" will also be prosecuted.
Poll Figures
Cameroon's leader, who came to power in 1982 and is now the oldest serving president, obtained the 12 October election with a majority of the vote, compared to a significant minority for the challenger, according to the electoral authority.
Challenger's Position
Issa Tchiroma is has not yet commented to the government's decision to try him, but he had previously stated that he rejected a stolen vote - and that he was fearless of being arrested.
Following the vote count, he claimed that security forces opened fire on demonstrators gathered near his home in the city of Garoua, fatally wounding at least two civilians.
Investigation Revealed
Earlier this week, the interior minister disclosed that an probe would be initiated into violent incidents prior to and following the publication of the poll figures.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the individuals involved were killed," he commented, without offering a specific number of protesters who have been killed in the confrontations.
Nji noted that a number of members of the security forces also received significant wounds.
Present Conditions
While Nji maintained the situation across the country was now stable, demonstrators continue to protest in some parts of the nation, especially in Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators established roadblocks on Tuesday, and burnt rubber on the roads.
Experts caution that the election-related unrest could push the nation into a political crisis.