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The nation's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has stated that opposition leader Tchiroma Bakary will be prosecuted over claims that he incited "violent election protests".

No fewer than 4 protesters have been fatally wounded during clashes between security forces and protesters since the presidential election on 12 October, with President Paul Biya, aged 92 securing an eighth presidential mandate.

The opposition leader insists that he was the true winner, a assertion dismissed by Biya's ruling party, the ruling CPDM.

Aggressive responses by police and security officers on demonstrators have concerned the global community, with the UN, AU and EU urging moderation.

Official's Allegations

Recently, the interior minister accused the opposition figure of organising what he described as "illegal" demonstrations resulting in the fatalities, and also criticised him for declaring victory in the electoral contest.

He noted that Tchiroma Bakary's "co-conspirators involved in an insurrectionary plan" will also undergo judicial processes.

Vote Outcome

The president, who took control in the early 80s and is now the oldest serving president, secured the October 12 presidential election with a majority of the ballots, compared to just over a third for the challenger, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.

Opposition Response

Issa Tchiroma is yet to respond to the authorities' move to bring him to court, but he had previously announced that he refused to acknowledge a rigged election - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.

On election result day, he claimed that gunmen shot on demonstrators assembled near his home in the city of Garoua, killing at least two people.

Inquiry Announced

Earlier this week, the interior minister announced that an probe would be initiated into unrest surrounding the publication of the poll figures.

"During these attacks, some of the perpetrators lost their lives," he commented, without giving a exact count of protesters who have been lost their lives in the clashes.

The minister added that several personnel of the security forces also suffered major harm.

Current Situation

Even though the interior minister insisted the state of affairs throughout Cameroon was now stable, demonstrators remain active in various areas of the country, especially in urban centers, where demonstrators set up obstructions on that day, and set fire to tires on the streets.

Observers caution that the political turmoil could plunge the country into a leadership vacuum.