Cameroon opposition leader denies talks with government

Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma has denied holding talks with President Paul Biya’s government, rejecting rumours of negotiations following last year’s disputed presidential election.

Tchiroma, who fled into exile in The Gambia, insists he was the rightful winner of the October vote, which saw 92-year-old Biya re-elected for an eighth term, extending his rule that began in 1982.

Speculation about possible dialogue intensified in recent days as President Biya promised to appoint a new government in his New Year address—appointments that have yet to materialise. But Tchiroma’s spokeswoman, Alice Nkom, dismissed the claims, saying there would be “no discussion, no compromise, and no participation in any electoral process whatsoever.”

In a statement, Tchiroma said he never intended to negotiate what he described as his electoral victory, neither before nor after the vote.

His party, the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon, has also announced it will boycott upcoming parliamentary and municipal elections, arguing that participation would legitimise what it calls electoral wrongdoing.

The standoff underscores ongoing political tensions in Cameroon, where opposition groups continue to challenge the credibility of the electoral process and President Biya’s decades-long grip on power.