Gambia has confirmed that it is temporarily hosting Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary following a disputed presidential election in Cameroon that returned longtime leader Paul Biya to office for an eighth term, sparking violent unrest.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Gambia’s Ministry of Information said Tchiroma arrived in the country on November 7.
He is being accommodated “purely on humanitarian grounds” to ensure his safety.
The ministry added that Banjul is working closely with regional partners, including Nigeria, to help “facilitate a peaceful and negotiated resolution” to Cameroon’s post-election crisis.
Tchiroma’s spokesperson, Alice Nkom, also confirmed his presence in Gambia.
Cameroon’s opposition has rejected the results of the October 12 poll, which officially handed victory to the 92-year-old Biya, the world’s oldest sitting president.
Tchiroma insists he won the election and has urged citizens to reject the announced results.
In response, the Cameroonian government says it intends to pursue legal action against Tchiroma, accusing him of making “repeated calls for insurrection.”
The announcement of the results triggered deadly protests in major opposition bases, including the commercial capital Douala, as well as the northern cities of Maroua and Garoua.
Authorities reported 16 deaths, while opposition groups and human rights organisations estimate that more than 55 people were killed.
Biya, who took power in 1982 after the resignation of Cameroon’s first president, has ruled for over four decades, aided by a constitutional amendment that scrapped term limits.
He is seldom seen in public, and speculation about his health persists as he frequently spends extended periods in Europe while governance is handled by senior party figures and family members
