Ahead of municipal, legislative polls: MINAT boss bans Tchiroma’s FSNC!.

The opposition political party, which came second behind the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, at the October 12, 2025, presidential election, was suspended, via a ministerial decision, signed yesterday.

In the decision suspending the political party, the Minister of Territorial Administration cited among others, instigation of a nationwide post-election violence, which turned bloody in parts of the country in 2025.

The ban comes months ahead to the municipal and legislative elections, expected early next year.

In his decision, Minister Atanga Nji wrote: “…the political party called ‘Front Pour le Salut National du Cameroun’ FSNC, has from the date of signature of this order, been suspended nationwide for a period of three months; following acts committed before, during and after the presidential election of October 12, 2025”.

Among the said acts, the minister cited the “call for insurrection, threat to territorial integrity, national unity and sovereignty; instigating violence that led to the destruction of State and private property and severe disturbance of public order”.

He continued that “…all the activities of the ‘Front Pour le Salut National du Cameroun’ are banned throughout the national territory during the suspension period”.

Minister Atanga Nji immediately warned that defaulters of the ban shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Yesterday’s ban, political observers are unanimous, technically bars the FSNC from fielding candidates at the forthcoming municipal and legislative elections.

The elections are expected to be organised early next year, according to sources.

How trouble began for the FSNC

It should be recalled that yesterday’s ban, came slightly over a year after violence erupted in parts of the country, following the highly contested presidential election of October 12, 2025.

President Paul Biya who has ruled the country since 1982, was declared winner by the Constitutional Council. 

However, the main opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, proclaimed himself victorious.

His supporters immediately took to the streets to push for his alleged victory. Authorities responded to widespread protests with lethal force and mass arrests of protesters.

The protests broke out on October 26, 2025, and continued for several days in several cities. 

The protests were followed by a lockdown, supposedly  imposed by Tchiroma, between November 4 and 7, 2025. He had urged citizens, especially his supporters, to defend the party’s victory.

During the period of protests, police and gendarmes responded with tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the marauding crowds. The United Nations, UN sources said security forces had killed 48 people during protests across the country.

Meanwhile, opposition sources had put the death toll at 55. On November 6, Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, said several dozen people had died during the protests and that “investigations are ongoing” to determine the exact death toll.

Some protests were violent, as crowds assaulted the police and gendarmes, throwing rocks and other objects at them. 

In some areas, protesters built roadblocks, set buildings on fire and ransacked public buildings, shops, and other private properties. Security forces responded with lethal force.

On November 9, 2025, Tchiroma issued a 48-hour ultimatum to authorities, demanding the immediate release of all people detained since the election. He had warned: “otherwise, the people will find themselves in a situation of self-defense”.

Following the protests, Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, had said “several hundred” people were being detained. 

According to a pool of 149 lawyers formed to provide pro-bono assistance to those held during and after the protests, security forces detained up to 2,000 people, including several minors.

Authorities had meanwhile said 105 people were detained in Douala as of October 26, 2025.

Several hundred others were arrested and detained in facilities in Yaounde, Garoua and Bafoussam, according to official information. 

In November of 2025, the World Organisation Against Torture, OMCT, SOS Torture Litigators’ Group in Africa, the International Federation for Human Rights, FIDH, the International Federation of ACATs, FIACAT and its partners had expressed their deep concern over reports of killings, injuries, and arbitrary arrests, following protests that erupted in October 2025. The protests were predominant in Garoua, Tchiroma’s chief town, Douala, Bafoussam, Dschang and Mbouda, in the West Region.

The groups had regretted that such use of force against largely peaceful gatherings was disproportionate and contrary to international law. 

The groups had cited the United Nations Committee against Torture, CAT, as having urged Cameroon to end excessive use of force on protesters, including against peaceful demonstrators and ensure independent investigations into violations committed. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3953 of Wednesday October 28, 2026