Yaoundé – People in the major Cameroon cities of Douala and Garoua on Monday heeded calls by opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary to stay home in protest at the reelection of Paul Biya as president.
Tchiroma’s demand to turn major cities into “ghost towns” was not, however, followed to the same degree in the capital Yaounde.
Tchiroma has insisted that he won the country’s presidential election. His call to protest against the proclaimed victory of Biya, at 92 the world’s oldest head of state, has led to demonstrations which the authorities say caused the death of four people in Douala, the country’s economic powerhouse.
“I call on all Cameroonians, no matter where they are, to stay at home for three days. These ghost towns will help the resistance,” Tchiroma urged in a social media video posted overnight.
AFP reporters in Douala said his call was mainly followed with schools shut and roads emptier than usual.
Cedric, who sells telephone parts, was one of the few salesmen to have opened their store. “I have a family to feed,” the 29-year-old told AFP.
In Tchiroma’s northern hometown of Garoua, the streets were also deserted with shops shuttered, at times for fear of reprisals.
Heightened tensions in Douala and other towns in Cameroon🇨🇲 ahead of Monday’s official declaration of presidential results.
Paul Biya’s government has detained 30 politicians affiliated to opposition presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma, who has called for nationwide protests. pic.twitter.com/NA5naQKkSy
— Kennedy Wandera (@KennedyWandera_) October 26, 2025
“I’m afraid someone will come and burn down my shop. Not opening doesn’t necessarily mean we support this, but there is a danger, an uncertainty hanging over our business,” one shopkeeper told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The capital Yaounde was mainly normal, with businesses open and children heading to school.
The government has promised to prosecute Tchiroma over the protests, which have rattled several cities despite only rallying several hundred protesters at a time.
Communications Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi on Sunday criticised “calls for insurrection, ghost towns or civil disobedience, which are likely to endanger the life of the nation, social peace, and economic development”.
Sadi denied accusations that authorities had repressed the demonstrations sparked by Tchiroma’s calls, insisting that “there was no disproportionate use of force by law enforcement”.
Official results placed Tchiroma second to Biya, handing the veteran president an eighth mandate. Biya, in power since 1982, is to be sworn in by November 10, according to the electoral code.
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Source: AFP
