At least four people were killed on Sunday in Cameroon’s commercial capital as security forces clashed with opposition demonstrators protesting alleged fraud in the October 12 presidential election.

The unrest, which has spread to Yaoundé and Garoua, comes amid mounting accusations against incumbent President Paul Biya, who is seeking an eighth term after 43 years in power.

The violence erupted in Douala, where hundreds rallied in support of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, waving flags and chanting slogans against Biya’s rule. Witnesses reported police firing live ammunition, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse crowds.

Among the dead was a 28-year-old vendor reportedly struck while shopping nearby. Hospitals reported dozens of injuries, including from rubber bullets and beatings, though official casualty figures remain unconfirmed.

Tchiroma’s campaign, citing independent tallies showing him leading with 55% of the vote, condemned the deaths as “state murder” and vowed continued protests until the Constitutional Council “honors the people’s will.” Party spokesperson Jean de Dieu Momo described the crackdown as a “massacre to silence dissent,” linking the unrest to youth frustration over 13% unemployment and stalled reforms.

In Garoua, Tchiroma’s northern stronghold, two people were wounded in similar clashes. In Yaoundé, police arrested 20 activists during demonstrations.

Government officials dismissed the protests as “illegal provocations” by opposition “agitators.” Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji warned of “zero tolerance for chaos,” while state media reported only “two injuries” from “disorderly gatherings.” The army has deployed reinforcements to key locations, and Biya’s ruling RDPC party urged calm, insisting the vote was “free and fair” under the supervision of electoral body Elecam.

The protests follow a contentious election marked by low turnout—below 40%—and widespread allegations of irregularities, including delayed voter rolls and closed polling stations. The Constitutional Council, widely seen as aligned with Biya, rejected calls for annulment last week and is expected to announce official results on Monday.

With 28 million registered voters and a history of disputed elections, the current standoff threatens broader instability in a country already grappling with separatist conflict and widespread poverty affecting nearly one-third of the population.

As funerals begin and nationwide arrests climb to 50, calls for international mediation are growing. The U.S. and EU, which observed the election in limited capacity, have urged restraint. Amnesty International condemned the crackdown as “premeditated repression.”