Gov’t beefs up ‘militarisation’ of Douala as Kamto’s September 22 protest nears
Makepe like several other neighbourhoods in Douala has witnessed an increase in the presence of security forces ahead of MRC’s planned September 22 protest. “Today we got up at Makepe and police where everywhere.
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Makepe like several other neighbourhoods in Douala has witnessed an increase in the presence of security forces ahead of MRC’s planned September 22 protest. “Today we got up at Makepe and police where everywhere. This afternoon, gendarmes have also been added to the number of policemen we saw in the morning” a local tells MMI. Another source adds that about five vans used by the anti-riot squad can also be seen in the Makepe locality, placing the number of Security forces at about 500.
The recent move by the government is believed to be in anticipation of the MRC and Kamto’s planned September 22 protest announced in the wake of the December regional election. After similar protests were held as the politician disputed results of the 2018 presidential election, he and several other supporters of the party were arrested and detained, with some only released months later. Though the MRC says its protests are set to be peaceful, the government has warned against any such move, promising the hard hand of the law. Kamto says the government should handle other problems facing it including the Anglophone crisis before organising any further elections in the country. Several opposition parties have also announced a boycott of the elections, though none has expressly stated their desire to partake in the protests.
