“Time to work on peace” in Cameroon: Catholic Archbishop Urges Calm after Election

Archbishop Mbarga added, “We must go beyond all the tensions witnessed after the elections, and get to work.”

He noted that national progress requires commitment from every citizen, saying, “This is for the love of this country, which is so dear to us.”

On October 27, Cameroon’s Constitutional Council confirmed the re-election of President Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest-serving head of State, rivalled only by President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea.

The official results showed Biya winning the October 12 election by 53.66 percent of the total votes, against 35.19 percent for opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Reuters reported.

On October 31, Mr. Tchiroma called for three days of ghost town protests from November 3-5.

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President Biya is the world’s oldest Head of State, having served since 1982 in the Central African nation, where Presidents have a seven-year mandate.

Constitutional amendments that the 92-year-old President’s party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), spearheaded in 2008, abolishing the two-term presidential limit, brought about his “extraordinarily long tenure”. 

After the presidential polls, the opposition contender, Tchiroma, reportedly announced himself the winner.

His declaration was dismissed by Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, who denounced it as unlawful and “a matter of serious concern.”

The ruling CPDM also condemned Tchiroma’s claim as a “grotesque hoax,” maintaining that only the Constitutional Council is authorized to officially declare the winner.

However, there are reportedly widespread concerns about electoral transparency, fairness, and integrity. 

Opposition groups, civil society, and media have flagged possible irregularities.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.