While U.S. votes, Cameroon “celebrates”
Biya celebrates his 30th year as president. Photo AFP
While Americans went to the polls to decide if Barack Obama would serve a second term, Cameroonians “celebrated” the 30th year in office of their president, Paul Biya.
Those who felt that 30 years in power was a cause for protest, rather than celebration, were met with tear gas and water cannons when they attempted to stage a peaceful opposition event.
“We had just started the peaceful march when a large number of well-armed police and gendarmes deployed by the repressive regime of Biya used water cannon, teargas and other weapons to disperse and brutalise thousands of our activists,” Jean Michel Nintcheu, an opposition member of parliament, told Reuters by phone from Douala.
