Cameroon opposition leader flees to Gambia after contested election

SERREKUNDA, Gambia (AP) – Gambia said it was temporarily hosting Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary after a disputed election in his country saw longtime President Paul Biya win an eighth term, triggering deadly protests.

Gambia’s Ministry of Information said in a statement Sunday that Tchiroma arrived in the small West African country on Nov. 7 and is being hosted “purely on humanitarian grounds” and for “the purpose of ensuring his safety.”

The statement added that Gambia was working with regional partners like Nigeria to “support a peaceful and negotiated outcome” to the post-election tensions in Cameroon.

Tchiroma’s spokesperson, Alice Nkom, confirmed the opposition leader’s presence in Gambia in a statement on Sunday.

Cameroon’s opposition has contested the result of the Oct. 12 election that secured the victory for Biya, the world’s oldest president at 92. His election rival Tchiroma claims to have won and has called on Cameroonians to reject the official result.

Cameroon’s government has said it plans to initiate legal proceedings against Tchiroma for his “repeated calls for insurrection.”

Deadly protests erupted in key opposition strongholds, including the economic hub Douala and in northern cities like Maroua and Garoua, after the election results were announced.

While the Cameroonian government said 16 people were killed during the protests, opposition figures and human rights groups estimate the death toll at more than 55.

Biya first came to power in 1982, following the resignation of Cameroon’s first president, and has ruled since then, later benefiting from a constitutional amendment that abolished term limits.

He is rarely seen in public and his health has been a topic of speculation as he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving governance to key party officials and family members.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Nalova Akua in Yaounde, Cameroon contributed to this report.