Johnson Progress

Hundreds of opposition supporters barricaded roads, burned tyres and hurled rocks in Douala’s New Bell neighbourhood on Sunday, a day before the Constitutional Council is set to announce the October 12 presidential election results.

The demonstrations, sparked by claims that opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma beat veteran President Paul Biya, turned violent with police fired teargas and water cannon, and clashes left at least four protesters dead, according to the regional governor and Tchiroma’s campaign.

The unrest began after partial, unofficial tallies suggested Biya, 92, was on track for an eighth term.

Tchiroma, a former minister, has asserted that he won 54.8 percent of the vote and accused the government of preparing to rig the election.

“We want Tchiroma, we want Tchiroma!” protesters chanted, blocking streets with debris and confronting security forces.

Reuters reporters witnessed police detaining at least four demonstrators, and the governor, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, confirmed the four deaths, saying, “Four people unfortunately lost their lives,” and noting that several security‑force members were also injured.

Tensions have escalated sharply.

Tchiroma’s campaign manager said authorities had arrested about 30 politicians and activists, naming Anicet Ekane of the MANIDEM party and Djeukam Tchameni of the Union for Change movement.

“Earlier on Sunday, Tchiroma’s campaign manager said authorities had detained about 30 politicians and activists who had supported his candidacy, heightening tensions,” the report notes.

Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji defended the crackdown, describing the unrest as an “insurrectional movement and warning that the protest create the conditions for a security crisis”.

The government has rejected the opposition’s fraud allegations, urging citizens to wait for the official results, which the Constitutional Council will release on Monday.

Biya, the world’s oldest serving ruler, has ruled since 1982; a further seven‑year term could keep him in power until he is nearly 100.

Young Cameroonians, many unemployed, expressed “frustration and anger” at the prospect of another Biya victory, with journalist Blaise Eyong telling Al Jazeera that the youth “were particularly ‘furious’ at the alleged vote rigging”.

The clashes have spread beyond Douala to cities such as Garoua, Maroua and the capital Yaoundé, prompting a heavy police presence and internet disruptions.

As the Constitutional Council prepares to announce the final outcome, the death toll and mass detentions underscore the deep polarization and the high stakes of a contest that could shape Cameroon’s future for years to come.