By Ajong Mbapndah L
A coalition of U.S. lawmakers has written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning that Cameroon’s disputed presidential election and ensuing unrest pose a serious threat to democracy, human rights, and regional stability in Central Africa.
In a sharply worded letter, the members of Congress—Jonathan L. Jackson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Eleanor Holmes Norton, James McGovern, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Eugene Vindman, Yvette D. Clarke, André Carson, and Jennifer McClellan—described the situation as a “deepening crisis with dangerous implications for U.S. interests.”
A Contested Mandate Amid Repression
President Paul Biya, 93 years old and in power since 1982, was declared winner of the October 12, 2025 election with 53.66 percent of the vote, defeating Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who reportedly garnered 35.19 percent. More than eight million Cameroonians voted, signaling a strong democratic will—but lawmakers say that will was “systematically undermined.”
The letter cites widespread restrictions on political freedoms, the disqualification of opposition leader Maurice Kamto, and the arrest of activists, journalists, and civil society leaders as evidence of what they call “an election conducted under fear and control, not freedom.”
Reports of pre-stuffed ballots, multiple voting, and tabulation irregularities in key cities like Douala, Bamenda, and Garoua have further eroded public confidence in the process, the lawmakers said.
Wave of Violence and Enforced Disappearances
The congressional letter catalogs a string of disturbing incidents in the aftermath of the polls.
A teacher, Madam Zouhaira, was shot and killed in Garoua on October 21; Abe Michael, a member of parliament, was abducted and murdered a day later; and several prominent opposition figures—including Anicet Ekane, Florence Titcho, and Djeukam Tchameni—were arrested.
Of particular concern is the disappearance of Professor Jean Calvin Abba Oyono, a senior adviser to opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma, who was taken from his home in Yaoundé by security forces. His whereabouts remain unknown, prompting the lawmakers to describe the case as a clear example of “enforced disappearance, a crime under international law.”
The Cameroon Bar Association has condemned the escalating violations of human rights and the collapse of the rule of law, echoing growing international alarm.
Regional Instability and Strategic Stakes
The lawmakers warn that the crisis threatens to unravel fragile regional security structures. In the far north, Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa continue to terrorize communities, while unrest in Cameroon’s anglophone regions risks reigniting full-scale conflict that has already displaced over 700,000 people and claimed 6,000 lives since 2017.
“Cameroon’s stability is central to the U.S. counterterrorism strategy in Africa,” the letter states. The country’s role in the Multinational Joint Task Force with Nigeria and Chad, and its control of vital maritime routes in the Gulf of Guinea, make it a strategic anchor for regional peace and global trade. A descent into chaos, the lawmakers caution, would create “a vacuum for terrorism, organized crime, and foreign influence.”
Call for U.S. Action and Accountability
The members of Congress urge Secretary Rubio to brief them on how the State Department plans to respond. They call for immediate diplomatic engagement to press the Cameroonian government to release political prisoners, end arbitrary arrests, and respect fundamental freedoms and the will of its people.
They further demand accountability for security forces implicated in unlawful killings and human rights abuses and emphasize the need to encourage all parties—government, opposition, and civil society—to reject violence and commit to dialogue.
The letter also calls for U.S. and international mediation to help foster a peaceful and credible transition, warning that “continued repression could push Cameroon into political collapse and ignite a wider regional crisis.”
Cameroon has long been a key U.S. partner in counterterrorism and maritime security, but its democratic decline has strained bilateral ties. Washington previously suspended Cameroon from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2020 over human rights concerns.
