Cameroon Erupts in Violence as President Biya Secures Disputed Eighth Term

Cameroon is experiencing widespread unrest following the announcement that President Paul Biya, aged 92, has won an eighth term in office with 53.66% of the vote, extending his rule to 50 years. Opposition leaders, including main challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary, have rejected the election results, alleging widespread fraud and claiming victory themselves, which has led to violent protests in major cities such as Douala and Yaoundé. The Constitutional Council's ruling is final and unappealable, and government officials have dismissed fraud accusations, while opposition figures and observers condemn the process as undemocratic and controlled by entrenched elites. The protests have resulted in at least six deaths and numerous injuries, with security forces using live rounds to disperse demonstrators, further escalating tensions. Many Cameroonians, particularly the youth population under 35, express frustration over decades of stagnation, poverty, and lack of political change despite the country's natural resource wealth. Calls for nonviolent resistance and national dialogue have emerged, but the government remains defiant, leaving the nation deeply divided and facing a potentially prolonged crisis.