Credit:  agencecamerounpresse.com  / Cameroon’s main opposition leader Maurice Kamto 

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC TIMES

Cameroon’s main opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, who insists he won last October’s presidential election, has been arrested and charged with insurrection. The central-west Africa nation is gripped by violence in the wake of the country’s disputed presidential election. Paul Biya, an octogenarian who has ruled Cameroon for 36 years, was  sworn in last November as the Central African country’s  President for a seventh term. The opposition accused the October 7 elections of being rigged in favor of Biya.  The 85-year-old Biya was officially declared the  winner of the  elections on October 22. The polls were stained by low turnout and voter intimidation. Biya, who  is sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest president, garnered 71.3 percent of the  vote.  Opposition challenger Kamto came in a distant second with 14.2 of vote. A grass roots campaign against President Biya has been growing, and the Cameroon government has responded with police violence and arrests of opposition members including Kamto, who  was arrested last Monday.

Credit: Amnesty International.

“The arrest of Maurice Kamto and four of his staff supporters signals an escalating crackdown on opposition leaders, human rights defenders and activists in Cameroon. The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release them, as well as peaceful protesters detained at the weekend simply for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa Deputy Director. 

According to Amnesty International, Kamto, who is president  of Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC) was arrested in the capital Douala along with two of his supporters Albert Dzonganga and Christian Penda Ekoka. They were brought to  the Yaoundé “Police Judiciaire”  and were not allowed to meet their lawyers. Last weekend, the  MRC called for public protests or “marches blanches” across the  country to  protest against alleged mass irregularities in the electoral process, according to Amnesty International.

 Kamto has been charged with sedition, insurrection and inciting violence, his lawyer said, as authorities banned planned protest marches in the capital Yaounde.

United Nations Expresses Concern Following Kamto’s Arrest And Violence In Cameroon 

Photo by Gary Rayanldo / United Nations logo at world headquarters in New York City.

The U.N. said it is concerned about the situation in Cameroon  regarding the arrest of Kamto and his followers, in its Noon briefing with reporters Tuesday Jan. 29, 2019.

“We have been asked about the situation in in Cameroon, and I can tell you we are concerned about the reports of violence and use of force by security forces during demonstrations in Douala in recent days. We also condemn incidents of violence at Cameroonian embassies in both Paris and Berlin . We are also concerned about the reported arrest of Maurice Kamto and some leaders of his party. We call on Cameroonian authorities to respect the freedom of assembly, association, and expression. The (U.N.) Secretary-General reiterates the need for all Cameroonian stakeholders to engage in an inclusive and genuine political dialogue to address the challenges facing the country. The United Nations stands ready to support such efforts.”

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the U.N.  Secretary-General.

Amnesty International Calls On Cameroonian Authorities To Improve Human Rights 

“Instead of taking steps towards improving the country’s human rights record, we are witnessing the authorities becoming less and less tolerant of criticism This must stop. The authorities should now allow people to enjoy their human rights including by ending the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations and dissenting voices.”

Samira Daoud.