Tensions are running high in Cameroon, where the nation’s influential Catholic Church is appealing for peace and calm amid growing uncertainty following last week’s presidential election.
In a statement released by the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, church leaders urged citizens to remain peaceful as the country awaits official election results. The bishops expressed hope that the outcome will reflect, in their words, “the true will of the electorate” — cautioning that “nothing should be altered by any authority involved in this process.”
The call for calm follows a dramatic move by opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government spokesman, who has declared himself the winner of the October 12th vote. Bakary claims to have defeated 92-year-old President Paul Biya, Africa’s longest-serving leader, who has ruled Cameroon for more than four decades and is now seeking a seventh term.
Government officials and members of Biya’s ruling party have denounced Bakary’s self-declaration, calling it illegal and irresponsible. The Constitutional Council—Cameroon’s highest electoral body—has yet to release the final results. It has until October 27th to announce the official winner.
Bakary’s defiant stance and promise to “defend his victory” have fueled fears of possible unrest. The Church’s plea for restraint aims to prevent the country from sliding into post-election violence.
Earlier this year, one outspoken bishop, Monsignor Yaouda Hourgo from Yagoua Diocese, openly criticized President Biya’s long rule, saying it would be preferable for, quote, “the devil to take power” rather than to see another Biya term — a comment that sparked widespread debate.
As allegations of fraud surface, the Constitutional Council is preparing to hear election complaints beginning Wednesday. Its verdict will be decisive in determining Cameroon’s next president.
In their closing message to the judges overseeing the process, Cameroon’s Catholic bishops invoked a biblical reminder — “The truth shall set you free.”
For now, the nation watches and waits, hoping that truth and peace prevail.
Reporting by Ehud Jones.
