At least 48 civilians were killed by Cameroonian security forces during protests over the controversial re-election of President Paul Biya, according to figures shared with Reuters by two separate United Nations sources on Tuesday.
The UN sources said most of the casualties were caused by live ammunition fired at demonstrators, while others died after severe beatings with batons and wooden sticks during crowd dispersal operations.
The Cameroonian government has not publicly confirmed any death toll from the unrest. Government representatives also did not respond to media requests for comment.
President Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and is one of the world’s oldest serving heads of state, was declared winner of the October 12 election with 53.66% of the vote, beating opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who officially secured 35.19%. Tchiroma, a former minister, had declared himself the winner even before the full results were announced.
Protests erupted mainly in the Littoral region — which includes the economic capital Douala — where nearly half of the deaths recorded by the UN reportedly took place. Three members of the gendarmerie were also killed in Douala during the clashes, the UN data showed.
In the northern region — especially around Garoua, Tchiroma’s hometown — ten additional fatalities were documented.
Civil society organizations have been sounding the alarm. Advocacy group Stand Up for Cameroon estimated at least 23 deaths last week alone, suggesting the scale of violence may be higher than early assumptions.
Although the intensity of protests appears to have decreased this week, the opposition continues to mobilize resistance. Tchiroma called for a three-day nationwide “stay-at-home” shutdown beginning Monday, urging supporters to halt work and remain indoors as a form of civil disobedience.
President Biya is scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday, amid sustained criticism from human rights monitors who say the government has used lethal force to suppress dissent and silence challenges to Biya’s decades-long hold on power.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cautioned Ghana against prematurely returning to the international capital markets.
IMF Cautions Ghana Against Prematurely Returning To International Capital Market
Source:Africa Publicity
