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The nation's Minister of the Interior Paul Atanga Nji has declared that political opponent Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over allegations that he incited "violent election protests".

No fewer than four demonstrators have been lost their lives during skirmishes between security forces and protesters since Cameroon's election on 12 October, with President Paul Biya, aged 92 securing an eighth consecutive term.

The opposition leader asserts that he won the election, a assertion dismissed by Biya's ruling party, the ruling CPDM.

Aggressive responses by security personnel on protesters have alarmed the world leaders, with the UN, African Union and EU calling for moderation.

Minister's Claims

Recently, the interior minister accused the opposition figure of organising what he referred to as "unauthorized" demonstrations resulting in the deaths, and also rebuked him for declaring victory in the presidential race.

He added that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices behind an insurrectionary plan" will also undergo judicial processes.

Vote Outcome

The president, who took control in 1982 and is now the oldest serving president, won the 12 October presidential election with a majority of the votes, compared to 35.2% for the challenger, according to the electoral authority.

Opposition Response

Tchiroma Bakary is yet to respond to the authorities' move to try him, but he had before stated that he would not accept a fraudulent outcome - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.

When results were announced, he claimed that gunmen shot on demonstrators gathered near his home in the city of Garoua, fatally wounding at least two individuals.

Inquiry Revealed

On Tuesday, the interior minister disclosed that an inquiry would be launched into unrest prior to and following the declaration of the vote outcome.

"During these attacks, some of the perpetrators were killed," he commented, without offering a precise figure of protesters who have been fatally injured in the incidents.

Nji further mentioned that a number of officers of the security forces also received major harm.

Ongoing Circumstances

Although the interior minister asserted the situation across the country was now under control, demonstrators remain active in some parts of the nation, especially in urban centers, where demonstrators established obstructions on that day, and set fire to rubber on the thoroughfares.

Analysts caution that the post-electoral violence could lead the country into a leadership vacuum.