Cameroon to hold regional elections

The Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon will hold regional elections today, with residents voting for the first time for members of the country’s upper House of Chiefs.

The Northwest and Southwest regions, which comprise Cameroon’s minority Anglophone area, have been in conflict with the central French-speaking government since 2016 over growing requirements to use French in the legal and education systems, increased central government oversight and the heightened troop presence in the English-speaking regions. The Cameroon People’s Democratic Party, the majority party in government, is expected to sweep the elections as the Anglophone opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) has withdrawn from the ballot and called for a boycott.

This election is unlikely to lessen tensions in the Anglophone regions. While the central government has touted this election as a major step towards decentralisation and has agreed to grant special status with significant regional autonomy, it will have little political effect as secessionists now demand total independence from Cameroon. Expect clashes between government and opposition forces to increase as separatists have ramped up violence and threats against candidates. Protests will likely disrupt and suppress voter turnout today. The results will grant little legitimacy to elected officials given the boycott.

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