Three months after the presidential elections in Cameroon, Maurice Kamto, leader and candidate of the Cameroonian Resistance Party (MRC), has been arrested by the police, for leading several protests against the results of the October polls. The results being challenged returned longtime President, Paul Biya, to power.
In an event sure to affect the Central African country, Kamto and other party members were reportedly picked up by uniformed members of the Cameroonian Police Force on Monday 28 January, at the home of fellow party member, Albert Dzongang, in the country’s economic capital of Douala.
Following an intense weekend of protests against President Biya, the MRC presidential candidate was arrested alongside MRC Treasurer, Alan Fogue, MRC Human Rights Secretary, Celestin Djamen and Kamto’s Adviser, Albert Dzongang. Their whereabouts are still unknown.
The announced election results saw President Biya beating Kamto with 71.28% of all the votes, while Kamto came in second place with 14.23% of the votes. After this, the MRC launched a series of protests questioning the validity of the election’s result.
During the most recent protest, which took place on Saturday, over 100 Cameroonians were arrested. Several people suffered injuries, allegedly as the result of an attack by the police where they fired live ummunition directly at the protesters, an allegation the government has come denied.
President Paul Biya, who resumed office in 1983, has held on to the helm of affairs of the country for about 36 years.
Addressing matters surrounding the protest, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga, who is in charge of party registration and licensing in the country, threatened to nullify the MRC if it remains dogged in its decision to keep protesting.
“The MRC political party and its leadership have been very notorious in the disruption of public order since presidential elections were held in Cameroon,” he said.
The country has also been embroiled in a crisis emanating from moves by separatists in the English-speaking Northwest region aimed at breaking away from the Francophone Southwest region which started in 2016 and has resulted in the displacement and killing of several citizens.
