Yaounde, Oct 7 (Prensa Latina) As soon as voting began in Sunday, Cameroon''s presidential elections claimed their first mortal, three men identified as members of the separatist militia created months ago in the English-speaking regions. A large deployment of Army and Police forces guards the polling stations, particularly those installed in the city of Bamenda, capital of the northwestern region, where the clash occurred with the three separatists who 'tried to hinder the proper course of suffrage,' according to the official version.
Three other men died Friday in armed clashes with the military in the same area.
The favorites to win the election are the current Cameroonian President, Paul Biya, 85 years old, who has been in office for almost four decades, and Maurice Kamto, a former Minister of the President, surprisingly united with Akere Muna, a notorious jurist whose candidacy was rejected by the Electoral Commission.
The clash between the central authorities, most of whom are members of the French-speaking community, has been going on for a long time, but has worsened since late 2016 when English speakers stepped up their denunciations of discrimination against them.
