At Least Two Dead, Internet Blackout as Election Crackdown Escalates in Cameroon

Opposition protesters across Cameroon have been met with the authorities as tensions rise following the disputed October 12 presidential election. Two have been killed, dozens arrested, and the government has moved to cut off internet services in strategic areas as it suppresses opposition.

Security personnel and independent witnesses report that clashes erupted in opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s strongholds in northern cities like Maroua and Garoua after he claimed victory based on his tally of local vote counts. A teacher was shot dead by stray bullets in Garoua during demonstrations. Other demonstrations in Yaoundé were dispersed with tear gas.

While that was happening, Cameroon’s Constitutional Council had turned down all ten petitions challenging the election, paving the way for President Paul Biya to extend his tenure, probably into an eighth term. Biya, who is 92 and has been in office since 1982, is still the longest-serving African head of state.

The government has arrested at least 20 of the protesters, including in Garoua. It intends to bring many of them to trial before military courts on charges of insurrection and instigating rebellion. In a televised address to the nation, the Minister of Territorial Administration threatened that the government would not tolerate actions bent on shattering public order.

The loss of internet connectivity, verified by NetBlocks, is seen as a move to limit communication and reporting of on-the-ground events. Official state telecom provider Camtet attributed the outages to a “technical issue” of submarine cable lines, but critics find the explanation unconvincing.

Cameroon’s National Episcopal Conference appealed for restraint and sobriety after civil society appealed for the rule of law and transparency. However, the extent of the state’s control and the rapidity with which protests were quashed demonstrate how deep-seated the polarisation is in Cameroonian politics, where popular voice and institutions’ legitimacy are once more at risk.

While the nation waits for the final result to be announced, people fear too many incitements might destabilise the tenuous peace and propel Cameroon into further turmoil.

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