By Guy Feugap, Africa Organizer, World BEYOND War, Octobeer 29, 2025
On October 27, 2025, the results of the October 12 highly contested presidential election in Cameroon were announced amid an already tense atmosphere marked by clashes between the populations of several cities and the army. Between October 21 and 26, six people were shot dead in the clashes, including one in Garoua, one in Ndu and four in Douala. On the day the results were announced, Cameroon plunged into an alarming escalation of armed violence. As in 2016 at the start of the war in the North-West and South-West regions, the authorities have responded to the protesters with excessive military repression.
The election initially unfolded in a calm atmosphere, raising hopes for a peaceful democratic exercise. The voting process was largely free of major incidents, and many citizens believed the country could turn a page toward stability and renewed civic trust. But tensions began during the vote counting in several polling stations. Allegations of massive electoral fraud emerged, with opposition parties, activists, observers, and civil society groups reporting ballot stuffing, falsified results sheets, and interference in the compilation process.
Within days, one leading opposition candidate declared himself the winner, citing results publicly posted at polling stations across the country and abroad. The announcement electrified opposition supporters and fueled widespread suspicion that the official process was being manipulated. Authorities began arresting and detaining political leaders, activists, and social actors who denounced the irregularities and called on citizens to remain vigilant in protecting their votes. Many of those arrested are still being held in undisclosed locations.
On October 27, 2025, the Constitutional Council as the country’s highest electoral authority, long accused of siding with the ruling party, proclaimed the incumbent president as the winner. The official results, sharply contrasting with what many citizens expected, ignited waves of anger and protest across the country. Despite a nationwide ban on public demonstrations, thousands of people took to the streets, demanding transparency and justice. The situation has since spiraled into a climate of fear and chaos. Businesses remain shuttered, public transport is disrupted, and several towns are effectively paralyzed. What began as an electoral dispute now bears the marks of a widening war between civilians and state forces. Citizens expressing their discontent are being suppressed by military force, with artillery being used in several cities. According to election monitoring conducted by WILPF Cameroon, about 20 people have died in the clashes, several wounded and are in health facilities, gas stations, and many public and private buildings set on fire. This is in addition to the detention of political leaders and the arrest of hundreds of protesters in violation of their rights. Read WILPF Cameroon’s alert bulletins on the election here. Several actors are calling for calm and restraint. For instance, WILPF Cameroon has called for restraint, the European Union released a statement urging all sides to maintain restraint and refrain from any action that may further exacerbate tensions. The UN Human Rights called for restraint, investigations and an end to the violence.
World BEYOND War Cameroon chapter’s role in alerting to prevent escalation
The events happening in Cameroon reflect a climate of war that is gradually spreading, threatening peace, stability, and human dignity in the country, already compromised by more than ten years of armed conflict in three out of the country’s ten regions. The Cameroon chapter of World BEYOND War is concerned about what may happen in the coming days or weeks. As an organization working to end war and promote a culture of peace, the chapter believes that no political differences can justify the killing of civilians or the militarization of public spaces, when dialogue alone is sufficient.
As part of its vision of conflict prevention and promotion of a culture of lasting peace, the Cameroon chapter has been acting alongside WILPF Cameroon and partners for peaceful elections. The chapter is an active player of the Women and Youth’s Early Warning and Monitoring, a citizen-led initiative established during the 2018 presidential election and operating on the current election. Through its members active both in the field and within the Monitoring Room, World BEYOND War Cameroon chapter contributes to training call operators, reporting alerts and raising community awareness to prevent any form of electoral violence. As the violence exacerbates, the chapter remains engaged and vigilant to ensure that no conflict situation escalates. This is why it is sounding the alarm about the dramatic situation currently unfolding, though the urgent call to action to prevent this crisis from escalating into open war.