Tempers flared on Sunday in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, as activists and supporters of Maurice Kamto’s Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) clashed with security forces while attempting to reach the party’s regional headquarters, which had been cordoned off.
Authorities had imposed restrictions since Saturday, limiting access to parts of the city and the airport—particularly targeting motorcycle taxi operators—in anticipation of Kamto’s arrival. The opposition leader was expected to address supporters during a scheduled meeting at the party office.
“They say Professor Maurice Kamto is arriving. I don’t understand why the CPDM needs to advertise it. Is it the government’s or the army’s role to promote Maurice Kamto?,” asked Kouati Robert, a supporter of Kamto.
On Sunday, Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), released a video declaring that he was being held under house arrest, with police preventing him from leaving his residence to attend a meeting at his party’s headquarters.
Cameroon will hold a presidential election in October, and political tensions are escalating. President Paul Biya’s party, which has ruled the country since independence in 1960, faces growing scrutiny. Biya, Africa’s second-longest serving leader, is widely expected to run for an eighth term.
Kamto, who officially received 14 percent of the vote in the contested 2018 presidential election, remains one of Biya’s most vocal challengers. In the lead-up to the October polls, there has been a noticeable uptick in arbitrary arrests, political intimidation, and a ban on public demonstrations, further fueling concerns over the fairness and transparency of the upcoming vote.
