Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, was rocked by waves of protest on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, as angry crowds accused authorities of fraud in the country’s fiercely contested presidential election held earlier this month. Demonstrators surged through several neighborhoods, brandishing placards that denounced "electoral fraud" and a "stolen victory," according to IANS. The mood was tense, and the city’s usual hum was replaced by the sound of chanting and, later, the sharp crack of tear gas canisters as police and gendarmes moved in to disperse the crowds after brief but intense clashes.
Scenes of unrest were not confined to Yaounde. In Garoua, the chief town of Cameroon’s North Region and the hometown of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, similar demonstrations unfolded. Protesters there echoed the claims of their counterparts in the capital, insisting that the outcome of the October 12 presidential election had been manipulated in favor of longtime President Paul Biya. Videos circulating on social media, as reported by both IANS and OkayAfrica, showed demonstrators alleging that electoral officials had "manipulated the vote count" to tip the balance toward Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and, at 92 years old, is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
The government’s response was swift and uncompromising. Security forces, already on high alert, fanned out across Yaounde and Garoua, using tear gas to break up gatherings and restore order. In Garoua, at least 30 protesters were detained, with 20 of them facing charges in military court for "insurrection and incitement to rebellion," according to OkayAfrica. Authorities accused the demonstrators of being manipulated by political actors, a familiar refrain in Cameroon’s political landscape. A police officer, speaking anonymously to Xinhua as cited by IANS, stated, "We are trying to maintain calm and make the protesters understand that the street is not the place to express their grievances. Security forces will continue to maintain peace and order by all means."
The unrest followed a tense week in which opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory in the election just a day after the vote, on October 13. His declaration was quickly dismissed by Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, who called it unconstitutional and "an act of extreme gravity," according to IANS. The government’s position was clear: only the Constitutional Council, after reviewing the final tallies, could proclaim the winner. The National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes confirmed on Tuesday that it had completed the ballot tally and would submit provisional results to the Constitutional Council, which is mandated to announce the official outcome by October 27, in line with Cameroon’s Electoral Code.
Amid the uncertainty, the streets of Douala—Cameroon’s bustling commercial hub—also saw unrest. Last Wednesday, October 15, protesters in the Bonamoussadi and Makepe neighborhoods erected barricades and accused authorities of fraud. These demonstrations, like those in Yaounde and Garoua, were quickly suppressed by security forces wielding tear gas. The pattern was unmistakable: wherever allegations of electoral manipulation surfaced, so too did a heavy police presence and a rapid move to disperse dissent.
The opposition’s sense of grievance was fueled by more than just the immediate outcome of the vote. Election monitors, including the National Episcopal Conference as reported by OkayAfrica, cited a raft of irregularities: missing ballots, outdated voter rolls, and the last-minute relocation of polling stations. Such issues, they argued, undermined the credibility of the process and left many Cameroonians feeling disenfranchised. Despite widespread frustration over corruption and decades of economic and political stagnation, analysts quoted by OkayAfrica suggested that Biya was still likely to secure another term—largely because key opposition rivals had been barred from running in the first place.
Bakary, for his part, has not wavered. He has called on President Biya to concede defeat, urging the country’s aging leader to step aside in the face of what he insists was a popular mandate for change. The ruling party, however, has dismissed Bakary’s claims and accused him of attempting to disrupt the electoral process. The government and traditional leaders have issued repeated calls for calm and restraint, hoping to prevent the unrest from spiraling into wider violence.
The stakes are high. Cameroon has long been seen as a linchpin of stability in Central Africa, but the current crisis has exposed deep fissures. The protests have laid bare a population that is restless, frustrated, and deeply skeptical of the institutions meant to safeguard its democracy. The government’s heavy-handed response—arrests, tear gas, and military court proceedings—has only heightened tensions.
The Constitutional Council’s forthcoming announcement, expected by October 27, looms large. Some local outlets, as reported by IANS, have suggested that Biya is leading with more than 50 percent of the vote, but these figures remain unconfirmed until the Council’s official proclamation. For many Cameroonians, the wait is agonizing, and the sense of uncertainty is palpable.
International observers are watching closely. Cameroon’s electoral process has long been criticized for its lack of transparency and inclusivity, and this year’s contest has done little to dispel those concerns. With key opposition figures sidelined and widespread reports of irregularities, the legitimacy of the eventual winner—whoever that may be—will almost certainly be contested both at home and abroad.
Yet, for all the high-level maneuvering, it is ordinary Cameroonians who bear the brunt of the turmoil. In Garoua, where 30 protesters were detained and 20 now face the prospect of military court, families wait anxiously for news. In Yaounde and Douala, life has been upended by street clashes and a pervasive sense of unease. The calls for calm from government and traditional leaders, while welcome, have done little to dispel the underlying anger and frustration.
As the country awaits the Constitutional Council’s verdict, the questions remain: Will the official results reflect the will of the people? Can Cameroon’s institutions weather the storm of public distrust? And, perhaps most importantly, what comes next for a nation at a crossroads?
With the world’s eyes on Yaounde, Cameroon faces a defining moment—one that will shape its democratic trajectory for years to come.
