Cameroon’s leading opposition figure, Maurice Kamto, says his home in Douala has been surrounded by police since his return from France, where a recent rally drew sharp backlash from the ruling party.
Kamto, a former law professor and head of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), was prevented from attending a party meeting on Sunday. He later canceled another meeting planned for Monday, citing a heavy police presence.
The 71-year-old plans to run in presidential elections later this year, aiming to challenge President Paul Biya’s 42-year rule. Biya, now 92, has not confirmed whether he will seek re-election.
Authorities have not commented officially on the police deployment, but officers on the scene confirmed they were ordered to monitor Kamto’s location. Journalists were barred from filming, and access to CRM offices was blocked, with police citing an “unauthorized gathering.” Kamto disputes this, saying all proper notifications had been made.
Kamto was previously jailed for nine months following protests over the 2018 presidential election, which his supporters say was rigged in Biya’s favor—an allegation the government denies.
At his May 31 rally in Paris, Kamto pledged to protect Biya and his family if elected. His remarks were mocked by ruling party officials, including Labor Minister Grégoire Owona, who called them “pathetic.”
The clampdown comes as rights groups warn of rising political repression in Cameroon. Parliamentary elections have already been postponed to 2026, and Kamto’s eligibility to run is under scrutiny due to legal requirements tied to party representation.
With no elected CRM officials currently in office, Kamto may need to run as an independent, which would require signatures from 300 vetted figures nationwide. Still, his party insists no legal barriers stand in his way, accusing the Biya government of trying to block a popular challenger.
Cameroon is also grappling with a separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions, where over 6,000 people have died since 2017. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced.