Widespread unrest has erupted across Cameroon after the Constitutional Council declared 92-year-old President Paul Biya the winner of the nation’s disputed presidential election, extending his decades-long rule.
According to the official results released on Monday by the Constitutional Council of Cameroon, Biya secured 53.66 percent of the votes, defeating his main challenger and former government spokesperson Issa Tchiroma, who polled 35.19 percent.
With this declaration, Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982, is set to continue in office until 2032, by which time he will be approaching 100 years of age.
Protests erupted almost immediately after the announcement, with thousands of Cameroonians taking to the streets in major cities to denounce what opposition supporters described as electoral fraud.
76-year-old Tchiroma, who had earlier declared himself the winner of the polls, rejected the official outcome and called on citizens to resist what he termed falsified results.
His remarks ignited waves of demonstrations, particularly in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial capital, where violent confrontations between protesters and security forces left at least four people dead and more than 100 others arrested.
Security forces have since been deployed to key locations across the country to prevent further escalation, as the international community watches closely amid growing concerns about stability in the Central African nation.
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