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YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) – Polling stations are closed in Cameroon on Sunday night and vote counting has begun with an election likely to see Africa's oldest leader winning another term in the middle of the fighting. threats from separatists who prevented …
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) – Polling stations are closed in Cameroon on Sunday night and vote counting has begun with an election likely to see Africa's oldest leader win a new term amid fighting and threats by separatists who prevented residents of English-speaking areas from voting.
President Paul Biya, in office since 1982, is committed to ending a crisis that has killed more than 400 people in the southwestern and northwestern territories of this Central African country. in more than a year. The fractured opposition could not rally behind a powerful opponent of the 85-year-old ruler.
The vote has ended around 18 hours. local time and results are expected within two weeks.
"I am satisfied after fulfilling my civic duty and particularly satisfied with the fact that the elections are held calm and serene, without fighting," said Biya after the vote. "I hope that calm will continue after the announcement of the results."
Joshua Osih, the main opposition Social Democratic Front party, voted in Douala and called for transparency in the counting of votes.
"My wish is that the results of the vote are not altered. This transparency should be the word of order and the choice made by the Cameroonian people be respected, "he said.
Even as the candidates spoke, the violence had already marked the vote.
The army killed two armed men in the English-speaking city of northwestern Bamenda, according to Governor Deben Tchoffo of the North West Region.
"We will not let terrorists disrupt the elections," he said. "I salute the maturity of the people who face the threats and fulfill their civic duties. We are informed that gunmen are firing indiscriminately to frighten voters. We will not allow such a thing to happen. "
Clashes between military and separatists began on Saturday in at least six towns and villages, including Nkambe, Mamfe and Kumbo.
Several buildings were burned, including residences where election materials were stored.
Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai confirmed that several gunmen had been killed by soldiers in the southwestern region.
"The wave of attacks will not stop us from doing our job," said Enow Abrams Egbe, president of ELECAM, the electoral commission.
Security has been strengthened and citizens must not be afraid to vote, said Cameroon's Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji.
The Electoral Commission and the government said that they had arranged for the displaced voters, but it was not clear that people had come forward despite the threats of the separatists.
Cameroon is also fighting against Boko Haram extremists in the far north, where more than 230,000 people have been displaced. The electoral commission said voters have lined up at the polling stations of displaced people in the north.
More than 200,000 people have been displaced by separatist and military violence in the English-speaking regions of North West and South West, with many cities simply abandoned. By law, voters can only vote in the community where they are registered.
Election observers, including the African Union, said they would not conduct their work in the southwestern and northwestern troubled because of the crisis.
What began two years ago to protest the accusations of teachers and lawyers in English-speaking areas was their marginalization by French-speaking French-speakers, who found themselves dead after government repression. The separatists emerged, encouraged by some members of the Cameroonian diaspora, including the United States.
Later, marginal groups became violent, clashing with Cameroonian security forces, close allies of the United States in regional counter-terrorism efforts, but accused of human rights violations. The panicked civilians are caught in the middle.
More than 6.6 million people in Cameroon have registered to vote.
All electors in English-speaking areas had to be screened, present their elector cards and identity cards before they could vote. The numbers were low at the start of the vote on Sunday.
In francophone regions, however, thousands of people come online to vote.
"I have accomplished my civic duty. This indicates that I am a real Cameroonian. I voted for Biya because he's the one who promised to improve the health system, "said Julienne Ngono, a voter at Bastos Primary School's voting center. where President Biya will vote.
Even if Biya wins, his mandate could be weakened if voter turnout was low in English-speaking regions.
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Carley Petesch, AP reporter in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this story.
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