Hundreds of supporters of opposition presidential candidate Issa Ciroma have accused President Paul Biya’s government of trying to rig the vote.
Opposition parties say at least two people were killed in gunfire as protesters gathered in Cameroon the day before presidential election results were announced.
Hundreds of supporters of opposition candidate Issa Ciroma barricaded roads and burned tires in Cameroon’s commercial capital Douala on Sunday. Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. A police car was also set on fire.
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Protesters say Ciroma defeated veteran leader Paul Biya, 92, in an October 12 poll, and accuse authorities of preparing to rig the election.
Protests have intensified in the capital Yaounde, Chiloma’s hometown Garoua, and several other cities, including Maroua, Meyganga, Bafang, Bertoua, Kuseri, Yagua, Caere, and Bahussam.
The demonstrations came after local media reported partial results showing Mr Biya was on track to win an eighth term.
During the counting process, according to the numbers, Chiroma was declared the winner. However, during the nationwide counting, the Electoral Commission declared Mr Biya the winner, a claim Chiroma disputes.
He claims he won the election and has the evidence to prove it, leading to calls for nationwide demonstrations demanding truth at the ballot box.
“We want Chiroma, we want Chiroma!” chanted demonstrators in Douala’s New Bell district on Sunday.
They blocked roads with debris and hurled stones and other projectiles at security forces.
A Reuters reporter saw police detaining at least four protesters at the scene.
Young people’s “dissatisfaction and anger”
Blaise Eyon, a journalist from Douala, told Al Jazeera that the country’s young people, who make up the majority of the population, were particularly “outraged” by allegations of voter fraud by Biya’s camp.
“When I talk to young people, I understand their frustration and anger,” Eyon added, noting that youth unemployment is high in Cameroon.
Amid reports of government power outages, Eyon acknowledged that the internet had been disrupted across the country in recent days. “But that hasn’t stopped young people from coming together,” he says.
Cameroon’s government has denied the opposition’s allegations of fraud and called on people to await the election results, scheduled for Monday.
Earlier, Tiroma’s campaign manager announced that authorities had detained about 30 politicians and activists who supported his candidacy, heightening tensions.
He said those detained included MANIDEM party leader Anicet Ekane and prominent figure in the Alliance for Change, Dzeukam Chameni.
Cameroon’s Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nzi said on Saturday that the arrests had been made in connection with what he called an “insurgency movement,” but he did not say who or how many people had been detained.
Biya is the world’s oldest living ruler and has been in power in Cameroon since 1982. With just seven more years left in his term, he could potentially remain in power until he is nearly 100 years old.
Mr Ciroma, a former minister and former ally of Mr Biya, said he had won and would not accept any other outcome.
