In Garoua, northern Cameroon, residents are standing guard outside the home of opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary after both he and President Paul Biya claimed victory in the October 12 presidential election. Official results are not expected for another week, but tensions are already running high.
Supporters of Tchiroma, including young men and women, have organized round-the-clock shifts to protect him from possible arrest. Armed with sticks and wooden slats, they believe Biya’s government might move against the opposition figure after he challenged the election results.
“We are tired,” said Garoua resident Moussa Iya Mohaman Adama. “We studied, but there are no jobs. Cameroon needs change — from north to south, east to west. We don’t want war, but it’s time for Biya to hand power to the people.”
Witnesses say riot police and gendarmes surrounded Tchiroma’s home shortly after election day, sparking clashes with residents who refused to leave the area. Since then, Tchiroma has been confined to his home, delivering statements to the public from within.
Despite the heavy security presence, many in Garoua remain defiant. “It was the people who decided to protect him,” said a relative, Hassana Tchiroma. “They are standing up for what they believe is right.”
The city remains tense as Cameroonians await the official results of an election that could reshape the nation’s political future after 43 years under President Biya.