In a report released Wednesday in Nairobi, HRW said police and gendarmes used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse opposition protests challenging the re-election of President Paul Biya, who was declared winner on October 27 with 53.66% of the vote.
The rights group documented cases of lethal force, arbitrary detention, and torture in several cities, citing interviews with witnesses, victims’ relatives, and lawyers. UN sources estimate at least 48 people were killed, while opposition groups put the toll at 55.
“Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW’s senior Africa researcher, urged Cameroonian authorities to investigate abuses and release all those detained for peaceful protest,” the report stated. “Anyone committing violence should face fair trial procedures, not extrajudicial punishment.”
According to lawyers providing legal aid, up to 2,000 people, including minors, are being held without charge or access to courts.
Government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi defended the crackdown, claiming security forces were responding to “illegal gatherings, roadblocks, and violent mobs,” and warned that instigators of unrest “will face the full force of the law.”
President Paul Biya, 92, Africa’s longest-serving leader, has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and scrapped presidential term limits in 2008. His main challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, declared himself winner and alleged widespread fraud.
Rights groups and opposition figures say the violent response reflects deepening repression under Biya’s decades-long rule, raising fears of further instability in the Central African nation.