Cameroon Bar Sounds Alarm Over Election Integrity Amid Rising Tensions

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, Cameroon – The Cameroon Bar Association has sent shockwaves through the nation’s political landscape after issuing a hard-hitting statement condemning the conduct of the October 12 presidential election and warning key institutions against undermining the will of the people.

In a declaration signed by Bar President Mbah Eric Mbah, the country’s highest legal body accused the Elections Management Body (ELECAM) and the Constitutional Council of standing “on trial before the people,” insisting that any attempt to “betray the people’s will” could have grave implications for peace and democracy.

“The will of the Cameroonian people must not only be heard but fully respected,” the statement reads. “ELECAM and the Constitutional Council must demonstrate the highest sense of republican duty, integrity, and transparency.”

Positioning itself as a “watchdog of the rule of law,” the Bar said it could not remain silent while institutions “tasked with upholding democracy risk becoming instruments of manipulation.”

The Bar’s strong message comes as tensions mount across parts of the country following the disputed polls. Reports of post-election violence have emerged, notably in the North Region, where a Gendarmerie truck was set ablaze Sunday evening after residents accused security forces of tampering with ballot boxes.

Bar President Mbah condemned what he described as “intimidating pronouncements” from certain public officials and denounced the surge of inflammatory rhetoric on social media and partisan media outlets.

“These actions threaten peace and undermine public confidence in democratic governance,” he warned.

The Bar’s statement ends with an appeal for calm, urging citizens to avoid violence while calling on state authorities to uphold the principles of democracy and justice. “The people’s faith in the rule of law must not be shattered,” Mbah said. “Cameroon’s peace depends on the transparency of this process.”