Unrest in Cameroon after court declares Biya election winner

Unrest is spreading across Cameroon as opposition leaders reject the results of the October presidential election, which declared 92-year-old Paul Biya the winner. The country’s top court confirmed Biya’s victory, extending his rule beyond four decades.

Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, will now serve another seven-year term in a nation increasingly frustrated by poverty, corruption, and youth unemployment. Opposition supporters say the election was rigged, and tensions have boiled over into the streets.

In the port city of Douala, a resident said, “The youth are out to reclaim their votes that were stolen. We can clearly see that Issa Tchiroma Bakary won the election, but the government denies it.”

Another woman added, “People are not happy and they’re right. We’ve been suffering for 43 years. Children are jobless, people can’t afford food or healthcare. We’re fed up.”

Protests first erupted in mid-October after opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory while results were still being tallied. Since then, security forces have clashed with demonstrators in Yaoundé, Douala, and other cities, leaving dozens injured or dead and hundreds arrested, as calls grow louder for credible election results.