2 protesters killed as tensions rise in Cameroon ahead of election results

YAOUNDE, Cameroon — At least two protesters were shot dead by security forces in Cameroon as opposition supporters rallied to demand credible results from the country’s recent presidential election, the opposition said on Sunday.

Hundreds stormed the streets in different cities following days of unrest and in response to protest calls by opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who claims to have defeated President Paul Biya in the Oct. 12 election.

Cameroon’s top court, the constitutional council, is expected to announce final election results on Monday, but the opposition and their supporters have accused authorities of seeking to rig the vote.

Two protesters were shot dead in the economic hub of Douala on Sunday during unrest as security forces clashed with opposition supporters, according to the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy party.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the reports of the deaths, which were also reported by local media. Authorities did not immediately speak on the issue.

Videos online showed protesters clashing with security forces, who fired tear gas and tried to disperse the protesters barricading major roads in Douala and other cities including Garoua and Maroua in the north.

Dozens of opposition supporters, activists and leaders have already been arrested in recent days as protests continued. Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji told reporters Saturday that the government arrested several people plotting violent attacks.

One protester, Oumarou Bouba, a 27-year-old trader in the northern city of Maroua, said, “I am ready to stake my life to defend my vote. I voted for Tchiroma because I want change.”

Cameroon, a country of nearly 30 million people, has seen growing tensions since the build-up to the election in which Biya is seeking reelection.

The decision by the 92-year-old Biya, the world’s oldest leader who has been in power for nearly half his life, to seek reelection angered the country’s youth and the opposition.

The opposition has accused Biya of having a hand in the disqualification of his strongest rival and of using state machinery to manipulate the election in his favor.