Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, aged 92, has been re-elected for an eighth term, securing 53.7% of the votes, according to official results from the Constitutional Council announced on Monday. His main rival, former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, received 35.2% of the votes. Tchiroma had previously claimed victory two days post-election and called for demonstrations.
Clashes erupted in Douala, the economic capital, resulting in four fatalities due to confrontations between security forces and opposition supporters. Reports indicate that security forces initially used tear gas before employing live ammunition against protesters.
Tchiroma’s own tally suggested he had won 54.8% of the votes, compared to Biya’s 31.3%. Analysts widely anticipated Biya’s victory, noting concerns about electoral integrity in a system perceived as increasingly rigged.
Biya, who has been in power since 1982, is only the second leader of Cameroon since its independence from France in 1960. His administration has been marked by a strong grip on power, suppressing political opposition and managing a country plagued by social unrest, economic inequality, and separatist violence.