A few hours after claiming a "landslide victory" in Cameroon's presidential election on Sunday, October 12, against incumbent President Paul Biya, Issa Tchiroma Bakary appeared confident, surrounded by close associates in his villa in Garoua, the capital of the country's North region, both his electoral stronghold and family seat. His announcement did not surprise the Cameroonian authorities, though they had unsuccessfully tried to prevent it by threatening to arrest him if he spoke out before the Constitutional Court's official proclamation, which was due to be issued no later than October 26.

As he had hinted several times, Tchiroma Bakary, a seasoned political figure who emerged as a surprise candidate in the election, threatened to call people to take to the streets in protest against Biya, an aging president, though one whose security services are nonetheless feared. On Tuesday, however, there was no sign of law enforcement officers in Garoua's residential Marouaré neighborhood, only a few dozen young men on motorbikes, who had posted up in front of the opposition candidate's home. The previous night, they had stood guard there, armed with clubs, showing off their determination to defend their champion. "We have sentinels. If the police come, all the young people will come out," said one of them, as a warning.

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