Anger erupts into protests in Cameroon after Paul Biya re-election

Inhabitants of Douala have been protesting for a second day, following the announcement that president Paul Biya was re-elected for an eighth term. Armed forces have been deployed to several districts of the city.

Barricades, fires, live bullets: in Douala, as in many other cities of Cameroon, the aftermath of the announcement of results for the presidential election was violent.

Current president Paul Biya was declared the winner of the elections by the Constitutional Council on Monday, opening the way to his eighth term as president at 92 years old. Biya has ruled the country without interruption since 1982.

The announcement, already contested by opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, triggered widespread anger in the population.

Max Ndongmo, an inhabitant of Douala, voiced the sentiment many other Cameroonians are feeling, too: "I was crushed when I heard the news about the results, it just crushed me. I will be honest with you, it was so shocking to me that I almost broke my TV. What they are doing and have been doing is just hypocrisy. To this government, I want to say, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but you need to stop."

In Douala, the security situation has degenerated so much that the armed forces were deployed to several districts of the city. Pillaging, destruction of the public space and live bullets marked the afternoon on Monday, leading to the entire city becoming paralysed.