Cameroon: Opposition leader arrested November 6

Event

The leader of the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party, Maurice Kamto, was arrested on Tuesday, November 6, at the Nlongkak roundabout in Yaoundé. Police also arrested 19 Kamto supporters as they protested the swearing-in of President Paul Biya for his seventh consecutive term. Kamto has announced a week-long protest to challenge the victory of President Biya, who won the October 7 presidential election with over 74 percent of the vote. Further protests and civil unrest can be expected in the near-term as Kamto has called on his supporters to continue protests to denounce the election results.

Context

Maurice Kamto won 14 percent of the vote in the October 7 presidential elections, taking second place behind incumbent President Biya. Kamto has rejected the election results and called for an independent vote recount. Eighteen requests, including some from all three major opposition candidates, were sent to the Constitutional Court to annul all or part of the October 7 vote due to alleged voter fraud and vote-rigging; all 18 were rejected. Cameroon's electoral body has denied all claims of election interference. On October 27-28, around 65 Kamto supporters were arrested during demonstrations in Douala and Yaoundé.

Advice

Individuals in Cameroon are advised to monitor the situation and avoid all political events and large public gatherings due to significant security concerns (e.g. unrest). Those intending to travel to or within Yaoundé should anticipate disruptions.