Wanton Arrests In Muea May Be Election Spurred  – Victim Testimony

Some victims of the Muea military raid on December 30 have raised concerns that the sudden arrest and release of civilians may be spurred by the approach of the upcoming twin elections.

In the raid, several people were arrested without crime, whether in possession of a national identity card or not.

“Mothers ,fathers, children and even breast feeding mothers were arrested without motif . Some were released while others are being transferred to Judicial and central police Buea ” our source confirmed on the day of the arrest.

Another victim who shared his experience alleged that the nature of information gotten from unarmed civilians is fishy.

” I was a victim of that raid. I must say the kind information gotten from us made me think and re-think. 

I strongly believe that information gotten from our National Identity cards and active phone numbers will likely be used for electoral fraud. I’m smelling something fishy, especially relating to the upcoming elections” he wrote to us insisting to stay anonymous.

Cameroon Legislative and municipal elections have been slated for February 9, 2020. It is a highly awaited election as it comes at the peak of the Anglophone crisis, just after the national dialogue failed to address concerns of separatists.

One opposition party, Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), announced it that it will boycott the election, denouncing a partisan electoral code, which it said would only favor the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party but chairman of elections Cameroon, Enow Abrahams Egbe announced that the elections with continue unperturbed.

An official list of the various political parties was published on December 9 this year. It is reported that about twenty political parties have submitted the investiture files, among which are CPDM, SDF, UNDP, UDC, the PCRN,  FSNC, ADD and PADDEC.

As the election day approach, heightened security measures and traffic disruptions are anticipated around polling sites and at any political gatherings.

Clashes between supporters of different political parties, as well as associated arrests, cannot be ruled out.

In the October 2018 presidential elections, Maurice Kamto from the MRC won 14 percent of the vote, placing second after incumbent President Paul Biya.

But Kamto rejected the results, denouncing alleged electoral irregularities, and declared himself the official winner, leading to mass protests. He was charged with sedition, insurrection, inciting violence, and hostility, and was subsequently jailed from January 28 to October 5, 2019.

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