Under a sky darkened by mourning and uncertainty, the city of Douala is the silent stage for a post-election tragedy. The violence that erupted in Cameroon following the disputed re-election of Paul Biya , 92 years old and in power since 1982, has left behind broken families and a climate of fear.

The mourning of Achille Simo

In the 3rd arrondissement, the courtyard of a family home has become a place of mourning. Achille Simo , 45, a father of five, was shot dead on Wednesday, a collateral victim of the unrest. His widow, Elodie Fougué, 39, receives condolences in a silence heavy with grief.

According to witnesses, Achille Simo was killed while simply walking to a shop in the neighborhood. His neighbor, 40-year-old Basile Njeumeni Nana, recounts the chilling scene: “ The soldier asked him to move out of the road. Achille replied, ‘Do your job, we’re not bothering you.’ The captain shot him at point-blank range while his back was turned .”

The victim's younger brother, Christian Fokam, expressed his incomprehension and grief: " How could anyone kill a civilian who posed no threat? His only crime was going out to find food for his family. He wasn't even protesting ." Bloodstains, still visible on the road, serve as a stark reminder to residents of the brutality of the event.

Mohamed Pouamou, an innocent victim

A few streets away, in the Newbell district (2nd arrondissement), another family is in mourning. The doors are closed: they have gone to bury Mohamed Pouamou , a 22-year-old driver, killed by a stray bullet on Sunday while watching a match. " A bullet came out of nowhere and hit him right in the head ," testifies Idriss Fifen, a 29-year-old mechanic who witnessed the scene.

A country under tension

Since the announcement of the results and the re-election of Paul Biya for an eighth term, major Cameroonian cities have been rocked by demonstrations, often spontaneous and small-scale, but brutally repressed. The movement was largely driven by Issa Tchiroma Bakary , the opposition candidate who declared himself the winner, and who sparked unexpected enthusiasm among young people yearning for change.

Clashes between protesters and security forces resulted in "loss of life," according to the government, though no precise figures were released. The governor of the Littoral region reported four deaths in Douala on Sunday before the election results were announced. The opposition, through its spokesperson Issa Tchiroma Bakary, claimed there were "hundreds of dead and wounded."

The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, also acknowledged "scenes of looting and vandalism" as well as public and private buildings "burned, ransacked and looted" across the country.

The call for a "ghost town"

Despite an attempt to return to normalcy, the tension remains palpable. Faced with the situation, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, claiming to be under the "protection" of a faction of the army, called on Cameroonians to participate in "ghost town operations" from Monday to Wednesday.

“ Let’s keep our businesses closed, suspend our activities, stay home, and remain silent, to show our solidarity and remind this regime that the strength of an economy lies in its people—and these people no longer recognize it as their leader ,” he declared. In Douala, residents are already stocking up on supplies in anticipation of these days.

The international community has reacted to this escalation. The European Union and the African Union have deplored the violence of the repression, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an investigation.