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Cameroon's Minister of the Interior Paul Atanga Nji has declared that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over accusations that he instigated "violent election protests".

No fewer than 4 demonstrators have been lost their lives during confrontations between security forces and opposition supporters since the presidential election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya obtaining an eighth consecutive term.

The opposition leader asserts that he emerged victorious, a assertion dismissed by Biya's ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Aggressive responses by police and security officers on protesters have concerned the global community, with the United Nations, AU and EU demanding caution.

Minister's Allegations

Recently, Nji alleged the opposition figure of organising what he labeled "unauthorized" rallies causing the fatalities, and also criticised him for announcing success in the electoral contest.

He further stated that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices involved in an subversive plot" will also face legal action.

Vote Outcome

Paul Biya, who took control in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, obtained the 12 October election with over half of the ballots, compared to 35.2% for his opponent, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.

Leader's Stance

Issa Tchiroma is has not yet commented to the official announcement to prosecute him, but he had previously announced that he would not accept a stolen vote - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.

Following the vote count, he claimed that gunmen shot on protesters present near his home in Garoua, causing the death of at least two people.

Inquiry Announced

Recently, the interior minister disclosed that an probe would be started into unrest before and after the declaration of the election results.

"In the course of these incidents, some of the criminals were killed," he stated, without providing a exact count of demonstrators who have been fatally injured in the incidents.

The minister added that a number of members of the police and military also suffered significant wounds.

Current Situation

Although Nji insisted the condition across the country was now manageable, protesters are still demonstrating in certain regions of the country, especially in these two cities, where protesters mounted barricades on that day, and set fire to tires on the thoroughfares.

Observers caution that the post-electoral violence could push the nation into a governmental instability.