BANJUL, The Gambia — Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has fiercely contested the recent presidential election results, has fled to The Gambia seeking sanctuary, The Gambian government officially confirmed on Sunday.
Tchiroma Bakary, who insists he is the legitimate winner of the October 12 election, arrived in the West African nation on November 7 and has been granted temporary asylum on humanitarian grounds.
His departure comes after the Cameroonian government threatened to put him on trial for allegedly inciting violent post-election demonstrations.
Fleeing prosecution amidst fraud claims
The opposition figure maintains that the election was rigged to award 92-year-old President Paul Biya an unprecedented eighth term in office.
Biya, already the world’s oldest president, was declared the winner with 53.7% of the vote, amidst widespread allegations of fraud.
Tchiroma Bakary, a long-time member of Biya’s government before becoming an opponent, officially secured second place with 35.2%.
Cameroon’s government attributed 16 deaths to the post-election violence; however, other international organizations have reported a significantly higher death toll.
Tchiroma Bakary has denied inciting violence, instead blaming security forces for cracking down on protesters.
The opposition leader has repeatedly vowed to resist Biya’s government until his claimed “victory” is recognized, relying on resistance tactics that include calls for street protests and “ghost town” operations aimed at paralyzing urban centers. His whereabouts had been a mystery until The Gambian government’s confirmation.
Gambia’s humanitarian stance
In a formal statement, The Gambian information ministry clarified the nature of Tchiroma Bakary’s stay, emphasizing African solidarity while maintaining strict neutrality.
“He is being hosted temporarily in The Gambia purely on humanitarian grounds in the spirit of African solidarity and for the purpose of ensuring his safety while discussions continue to pursue a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the post-electoral tensions in Cameroon,” The Gambian government said in a statement.
The authorities stressed that the country would not be used as a “base for subversive activity against any state”. This publication has reached out to the Cameroonian government for comment on the development.
Transparency concerns raised
The announcement was met with mixed reactions from Gambian political factions.
The country’s main opposition party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), criticized the government for withholding the information about Tchiroma Bakary’s arrival until Sunday.
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The UDP argued that this delayed disclosure “raised serious questions about transparency, accountability, and respect for The Gambian people’s right to know what actions are taken in their name.”
Despite the criticism regarding transparency, the UDP expressed solidarity with the exiled leader, stating it was proud that Tchiroma Bakary could find “safe sanctuary” in The Gambia.
The party added that it was fully aware of how “despotism operates and how dissenters are treated”, implicitly linking the situation to Cameroon’s decades-long leadership.
