Cameroonian opposition figure Maurice Kamto left Douala for the capital Yaoundé on June 09 after police lifted a two-day siege around his residence which started on Sunday, June 8. Kamto, who returned from a political rally in Paris, was blocked by security forces from attending a meeting with his Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party members on Monday. The gathering was deemed unauthorized by authorities, although Kamto insisted all legal notifications had been made. His return has reignited political tensions, as he eyes a challenge to 92-year-old President Paul Biya in the upcoming presidential election, despite uncertainty around his eligibility due to his party’s lack of current elected representation.
Kamto, a former law professor who spent nine months in detention after contesting the 2018 election, has continued to draw support from Cameroonians at home and in the diaspora. His remarks in Paris, promising to safeguard Biya and his family if elected, were dismissed by government officials as unnecessary and “pathetic,” further inflaming divisions. As a potential candidate for the October vote, Kamto may have to run as an independent, requiring 300 signatures from national figures—an option he says remains viable despite regime attempts to sideline him.
The siege in Douala has drawn attention to Cameroon’s shrinking political space, with rights groups condemning the state’s clampdown on opposition voices. The delay of parliamentary elections until 2026, ongoing separatist violence in the Anglophone regions, and increasing repression highlight the fragile state of democracy under Biya’s decades-long rule. As tensions rise ahead of the polls, Kamto’s campaign is seen by many as a symbol of defiance in a nation desperate for political renewal.