Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary has filed two legal complaints in France against President Paul Biya and several senior government officials, escalating political tensions months after Cameroon’s disputed 2025 presidential election.
Tchiroma, who is currently living in exile in The Gambia, said the complaints centre on alleged human rights violations committed against his supporters in the aftermath of the election. He broke ranks with the Biya administration ahead of the vote to contest the presidency as an opposition candidate.
He continues to reject the official results, which declared 93-year-old President Paul Biya the winner of another term in office. Tchiroma maintains that he was the rightful winner and accuses the authorities of carrying out arrests and targeted repression against opposition figures following the election.
The Cameroonian government has dismissed the allegations and rejected the legal action, maintaining that the election was conducted in line with constitutional and electoral procedures.
The filing of the complaints in France marks a new phase in the ongoing political dispute between Biya and his former ally, highlighting continuing tensions surrounding the credibility of the electoral process and its aftermath.
French judicial authorities are now expected to review the submissions and determine whether a formal investigation will be opened into the allegations.
The development adds international legal pressure to an already volatile political situation in Cameroon, where opposition figures have repeatedly raised concerns over electoral transparency, political freedoms, and post-election security measures.
As the case proceeds, attention is likely to focus on whether French courts will assert jurisdiction and how the Cameroonian government responds to potential external scrutiny of its internal political affairs.
