By Synthia Lateu
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that domestic mediation remains one of the few viable alternatives to end Cameroon’s deepening post-electoral crisis.
The independent organization, which monitors conflicts and warns of escalating violence said the post-October 12 election dispute risks turning violent amid an ongoing Anglophone insurgency. Thousands have taken to the streets demanding recognition of the opposition candidate ,Issa Tchiroma ‘s alleged victory, leaving at least four dead before the results were announced and over 100 demonstrators, including opposition politicians, arrested.
“With neither side willing to back down, the risks of worsening unrest are high,” the Crisis Group warned.
The crisis group suggested that President Paul Biya could defuse public anger and safeguard national stability by initiating a high-level mediation forum led by religious figures.
” As protests mount, Biya should quickly initiate a high-level forum mediated by faith leaders, including from the influential Catholic Church and the Muslim community, to discuss a way forward for the country.” the report recommended, adding that decisions over the next few days will be critical. It urged Cameroonian authorities to avoid attempting to resolve the crisis by force, as they did in past political flare-ups, including the last vote in 2018.
The ICG stressed that such dialogue should aim not only to prevent further chaos but also to chart Cameroon’s political future. It urged opposition leaders, as well as government supporters, to discourage violence and hate speech.
The group also criticized the inaction of regional bodies such as the African Union (AU), noting that both the AU and neighboring countries have largely remained on the sidelines. It called on the European Union, AU, and the United Nations to lend their voices by ” directly appealing to Biya to address the turmoil through consensual rather than coercive means.”
The Crisis Group expressed concern that the opposition no longer trusts the Constitutional Council, viewing it as dominated by pro-Biya appointees , undermining hopes for a legal settlement of the electoral dispute.
Although the government reshuffled the military in 2023 and 2024, the group warned that internal fractures cannot be ruled out.
“A coup cannot be ruled out, but nor can schisms in the armed forces that such an upheaval could trigger, given how Biya has positioned loyalists throughout the top brass. Splinters could arise along ethno-political lines, with soldiers in parts of the country that overwhelmingly supported Biya defying any attempt at a military takeover.” the report noted
The ICG cautioned that the ongoing crisis could undermine Cameroon’s long-held reputation as a pillar of peace and stability in Central Africa. It urged national politicians and faith leaders, supported by international partners such as the UN, France, the EU, Chad, and Nigeria, to act swiftly and decisively to prevent the crisis from spilling over into the Anglophone regions or the Far North , or plunging the entire nation into political chaos.
