Two opposition leaders in Cameroon have been detained, according to their parties, amid protests that have shaken the nation over the anticipated presidential election results due on Monday.
Among those apprehended late Friday in Douala, the economic center, were Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni, prominent members of the Union for Change political platform, which supported candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary and his assertion of having defeated President Paul Biya in the election held on October 12.
The African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) party reported that its treasurer and several other members were also “kidnapped” by local security forces, claiming the intention was “to intimidate Cameroonians.”
The details surrounding the arrests remain unclear.
Cameroon’s electoral authority is set to reveal the final election results on Monday; however, opposition supporters have been protesting in recent days, cautioning against potential vote rigging.
While Tchiroma asserts he has won based on results compiled by his party, Biya’s party has accused him of attempting to disrupt the electoral process.
Protests occurred on Saturday in Bafoussam, the capital of the West Region, where motorcyclists took to the main roads, demanding a credible electoral process.
Earlier in the week, protesters clashed with security forces in various cities, resulting in some arrests and the death of one individual in the northern city of Garoua, according to authorities.
The deceased, a 30-year-old primary school teacher named Zairatou Hassana, was not participating in the protests; she was merely checking on her sister, who had not yet returned from school, as reported by her uncle, Amadou Adji, to The Associated Press.
“Her death leaves me with a negative memory of this regime, like all other Cameroonians,” he stated.
On Friday, Tchiroma suggested that attempts to arrest him were imminent. In a post on Facebook, he remarked that such an action would be “an assault against the entire Cameroonian people.”
“The people are simply asking you to acknowledge their victory,” he added.
