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Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has stated that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will be prosecuted over allegations that he provoked "violent post-election demonstrations".

At least 4 protesters have been lost their lives during clashes between security forces and demonstrators since Cameroon's election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya securing an eighth presidential mandate.

Tchiroma Bakary insists that he emerged victorious, a assertion rejected by the governing party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Violent crackdowns by security personnel on demonstrators have worried the world leaders, with the UN, AU and EU calling for restraint.

Official's Allegations

On Tuesday, the interior minister charged Tchiroma Bakary of organising what he described as "unauthorized" demonstrations leading to the fatalities, and also rebuked him for declaring victory in the electoral contest.

He further stated that the opposition leader's "associates responsible for an rebellious scheme" will also be prosecuted.

Vote Outcome

The president, who took control in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, won the October 12 vote with over half of the vote, compared to 35.2% for Tchiroma Bakary, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.

Opposition Response

The opposition figure is yet to respond to the official announcement to bring him to court, but he had previously stated that he refused to acknowledge a fraudulent outcome - and that he was undaunted of being detained.

Following the vote count, he reported that security forces used lethal force on demonstrators assembled near his home in Garoua, fatally wounding at least 2 individuals.

Inquiry Announced

Earlier this week, the government official announced that an probe would be started into clashes before and after the announcement of the vote outcome.

"Throughout the violence, some of the perpetrators lost their lives," he commented, without giving a precise figure of protesters who have been fatally injured in the incidents.

The minister added that several members of the security forces also suffered major harm.

Present Conditions

While Nji asserted the state of affairs throughout Cameroon was now stable, protesters are still demonstrating in some parts of the country, especially in urban centers, where demonstrators mounted obstructions on that day, and set fire to rubber on the roads.

Analysts alert that the political turmoil could lead the country into a leadership vacuum.