Cameroon faces HRW allegations of post-election violence, detentions
In a report released Wednesday, HRW said police and gendarmes used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse opposition-led protests challenging the re-election of President Paul Biya, 92, who was officially declared the winner on October 27 with 53.66% of the vote.
Numerous protesters were reportedly shot dead, while dozens more sustained gunshot injuries. HRW documented these incidents based on interviews with 20 witnesses, including relatives of victims, lawyers, and opposition figures. UN sources reported 48 deaths, while opposition groups claimed 55 fatalities.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW’s senior Africa researcher, urged authorities to hold security forces accountable, saying, "the authorities should immediately rein in, investigate, and prosecute responsible security forces, and all political leaders should call on their supporters to reject violence."
Biya’s main challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, had declared himself the winner and accused the government of widespread electoral fraud.
HRW reported that hundreds of people, including minors, have been detained since the unrest, with legal aid groups estimating as many as 2,000 detainees nationwide, many of whom have not been brought before a judge. Allegrozzi called on the government to release all individuals held for peaceful protest and to respect due process. “The Cameroonian authorities should immediately release all those held in connection with peaceful protests or for peaceful expression of opposition to the government,” she said. “Anyone committing violence should be appropriately charged with their due process rights fully respected, including their rights to bail and to a prompt and fair trial with an effective defense.”
Cameroon’s Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi defended the security response, describing it as a reaction to “illegal gatherings, roadblocks and violent mobs,” and warned that “those fomenting unrest will face the full force of the law.”
President Biya, the world’s longest-serving leader, has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and removed presidential term limits in 2008.
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