Cameroon Opposition Leaders Arrested Amid Protests Over Disputed Election

Two top opposition figures in Cameroon, Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni, were arrested in Douala as protests spread over disputed presidential election results expected on Monday. Demonstrators in several cities, including Bafoussam, demanded a fair vote count. Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claims he defeated President Paul Biya, while Biya’s party accuses him of trying to cause unrest. Security forces have arrested several protesters, and one person was killed in Garoua amid rising political tension.

Two prominent opposition figures in Cameroon have been arrested, their political parties confirmed, as tensions rise across the country following disputed presidential elections whose official results are expected to be announced on Monday. The arrests come amid widespread protests demanding transparency in the vote-counting process and credible results.

On Saturday, demonstrations erupted in Bafoussam, the capital of Cameroon’s West Region, where hundreds of motorcyclists flooded major roads, chanting and calling for fairness in the electoral process. Many of the protesters accused the government of manipulating results in favor of long-time incumbent President Paul Biya, who has ruled the country for more than four decades.

Late Friday, in the economic capital Douala, security forces arrested Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni — two leading figures in the Union for Change political platform. The coalition had endorsed opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has publicly claimed victory in the October 12 presidential election, asserting that he defeated Biya. The arrests have fueled anger among opposition supporters, who view them as part of a broader effort to silence dissenting voices.

The African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) party, which is also part of the opposition coalition, reported that its treasurer and several members were “kidnapped” by local security agents. According to the party, the detentions were carried out without warrants, and the whereabouts of those taken remain unknown. Local sources say some of the detainees were seized at their homes in the middle of the night, but the exact circumstances of the arrests have not been independently verified.

Cameroon’s electoral body is set to declare the final results on Monday. However, opposition supporters have been staging protests for several days, warning against what they describe as a coordinated attempt to rig the outcome in favor of Biya’s ruling party. Tchiroma, meanwhile, maintains that based on the results compiled by his campaign team across polling stations, he won the election.

The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), led by Biya, has dismissed Tchiroma’s claims as baseless and accused him of trying to destabilize the country. Government officials insist that the electoral process was free and fair, but opposition parties and civil society groups have questioned the transparency of the vote count.

In several parts of the country, particularly in the cities of Yaoundé, Douala, and Garoua, tensions have been escalating. Earlier in the week, protesters clashed with security forces who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. Authorities confirmed that several protesters were arrested and that one person was killed in Garoua, a city in the northern region. Witnesses said security officers used live ammunition to disperse demonstrators, though officials have not commented on that allegation.

Human rights organizations have condemned the arrests and the use of force against protesters, calling on the Cameroonian government to respect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression. Observers say the unfolding crisis reflects deep public frustration over decades of political stagnation and growing distrust in the country’s electoral institutions.

As the nation awaits the official announcement of the results, the atmosphere remains tense. Opposition parties have urged their supporters to remain calm but vigilant, while security forces have been deployed in major cities to prevent further unrest. Many Cameroonians fear that the situation could deteriorate if the results are perceived as illegitimate, potentially plunging the country into another wave of political instability.