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The nation's Minister of the Interior the interior minister has stated that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over claims that he provoked "aggressive electoral rallies".

A minimum of four demonstrators have been killed during skirmishes between security forces and protesters since Cameroon's election on October 12, with President Paul Biya, aged 92 obtaining an eighth presidential mandate.

The opposition leader maintains that he won the election, a claim rejected by Biya's ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Violent crackdowns by police and security officers on protesters have worried the international community, with the UN, AU and European Union calling for moderation.

Minister's Accusations

On Tuesday, the interior minister accused the opposition figure of organising what he referred to as "unauthorized" demonstrations causing the fatalities, and also rebuked him for claiming win in the electoral contest.

He added that Tchiroma Bakary's "co-conspirators behind an insurrectionary plan" will also face legal action.

Poll Figures

Cameroon's leader, who came to power in 1982 and is now the oldest serving president, won the 12 October presidential election with over half of the ballots, compared to just over a third for Tchiroma Bakary, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.

Opposition Response

Tchiroma Bakary is has not yet commented to the government's decision to bring him to court, but he had previously announced that he would not accept a stolen vote - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.

Following the vote count, he reported that gunmen opened fire on demonstrators assembled near his house in the city of Garoua, fatally wounding at least two individuals.

Investigation Launched

On Tuesday, the government official disclosed that an investigation would be launched into unrest prior to and following the publication of the poll figures.

"Throughout the violence, some of the perpetrators lost their lives," he stated, without providing a specific number of demonstrators who have been lost their lives in the confrontations.

The minister noted that multiple members of the police and military also sustained major harm.

Present Conditions

Even though the interior minister asserted the condition across the country was now under control, protesters are still demonstrating in various areas of the nation, especially in Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators mounted obstructions on Tuesday, and ignited tires on the streets.

Experts caution that the political turmoil could plunge the nation into a political crisis.