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Cameroon presidential election: two opposition figures arrested ahead of results
Two prominent members of Cameroon’s opposition were arrested on Friday in Douala, just days before the official results of the October 12 presidential election are due to be announced, their parties said.
Djeukam Tchameni, president of the Movement for Democracy and Interdependence in Cameroon (MDI), and Anicet Ekane, leader of the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon (MANIDEM), were both detained at their homes by masked and armed men reportedly belonging to the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), and taken to an undisclosed location, according to a statement from the Union for Change 2025 coalition.
The coalition, which had backed opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, condemned what it called “political intimidation” ahead of the announcement of results scheduled for Monday by the Constitutional Council.
Most analysts expect President Paul Biya, aged 92, to win an eighth consecutive term, extending his 43-year rule in what critics describe as a tightly controlled political system.
The MDI denounced the arrests as a “gross manipulation” by authorities, claiming that false information was being spread about the discovery of weapons and fake election documents at Tchameni’s home. The MANIDEM likewise condemned the “arbitrary arrests,” saying they aimed to “intimidate Cameroonians awaiting respect for the will of the people.”
Tchiroma, who claims to have won 54.8% of the vote against Biya’s 31.3%, called on his supporters to continue peaceful demonstrations across the country on Sunday.
In response, the government has banned public gatherings and motorcycle taxis in several major cities, including Yaoundé, while internet disruptions have been reported in recent days — a move watchdog group NetBlocks says could restrict coverage of events and protests demanding the annulment of the election results.