Deadly unrest erupts in Cameroon on eve of vote results

Opposition supporters of Issa Tchiroma Bakary have clashed with security forces in Douala

At least four people have been killed in the city of Douala in Cameroon as opposition supporters clashed with security forces ahead of the official announcement of the country’s presidential election results, the regional governor has said.

The protests broke out last week after partial results from the October 12 election were reported by local media. According to Journal du Cameroon, 92-year-old President Paul Biya leads with 53.66% of the vote, followed by Issa Tchiroma Bakary with 35.1%. Cabral Libii and Bello Bouba Maigari trail with 3.41% and 2.45%, respectively.

Supporters of opposition candidate Tchiroma took to the streets of Douala – Cameroon’s commercial capital – on Sunday, blocking roads, burning tyres, and confronting security forces ahead of the formal results of the presidential vote, expected on Monday.

Regional governor Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua said demonstrators had attacked police stations in two districts of Douala on Sunday, and that “four people unfortunately lost their lives.” He added that several members of the security forces were also injured.

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The country’s constitutional council is scheduled to validate the outcome of the election, expected by many to extend Biya’s nearly half-century hold on power. 

The vote has been surrounded by controversy. Biya is seeking an eighth term after 43 years in power, making him one of the world’s oldest leaders and Africa’s second longest-serving head of state after Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema. He is the second president to lead Cameroon since independence from France in 1960. 

Biya’s main challenger Tchiroma – a former transport and communication minister, who heads the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC) party – resigned from government in June 2025 to run against him.

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In the days before the results, widespread protests and arrests were reported. At least 20 people were detained amid street demonstrations in Garoua and elsewhere. Security forces used tear gas and water cannons in Yaounde, Garoua, and Douala to disperse crowds.