Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:04 pm
Cameroon voted Sunday in polls overshadowed by a partial opposition boycott and separatist violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Elections for the central African country’s legislature and local councils are taking place for the first time in seven years, after two postponements.
They are unlikely to ruffle the enduring rule of President Paul Biya, one of the world’s oldest and longest-serving leaders, who has held a tight grip on power for 37 of his 86 years.
As voting began large numbers of police and soldiers were seen deployed on the streets of Buea, the capital of the Southwest Region, one of two provinces gripped by bloody separatist violence.
But the polling stations in the city were almost deserted an hour after they opened at 8am (0700 GMT).
The main opposition party, the Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) is refusing to field a single candidate.
The boycott will all but guarantee a crushing victory for the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC in its French initials), which in the outgoing legislature had 148 out of 180 seats.
The other large opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), which currently has 18 seats, will take part in Sunday’s vote, going back on a threat to snub it.
In the capital Yaounde, it appeared that enthusiasm for the vote was subdued, with no crowds outside polling stations as they opened in the district of Briqueterie.
“I want to do my duty as a citizen,” said Abdias Lah, one of the few voters to cast an early ballot.
Links between the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria have reached an important milestone with the resumption of daily Emirates Airlines…
As part of His Highness' working visit to Egypt, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Excellency…
United Arab Emirates will invest $23 billion over five years in next-generation low-carbon energy, such as hydrogen and ammonia, to…
After making a memorable appearance at the WellChild Awards in the United Kingdom, Prince Harry landed at his next destination…
Tanzanian music sensation Diamond Platnumz, best known for her hit ‘Komasava’, is set to take on Nigeria's finest artists at…
Oliver Mawuse Barker Vormawor, the organiser of the ‘StopGalamseyNow’ demonstration, and 11 other demonstrators have been remanded in custody until…
This website uses cookies.