Police Accuse Issa Tchiroma of Contacting Soldiers

The memo, marked “TRÈS URGENT / CONFIDENTIAL” and signed by Loa-Hegba Agai, acting Regional Delegate for National Security in the South-West Region, was addressed to police unit heads across Buea and Limbe. It claims that “candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary personally contacted, via number 699 650 334, soldiers to ask them to take part in demonstrations after the proclamation of results from the 12 October 2025 presidential election.”

It further alleges that Tchiroma’s “objective” was to “block major road axes linking Bafoussam, Douala and Yaoundé”, and instructs local commanders to “reinforce security devices and prevent said subversive activities.”

Analysts see the leak as part of a larger strategy to criminalize dissent ahead of the Constitutional Council’s final proclamation expected early next week. The tone of the memo—citing “urgent collaboration with defense forces” and “prevention of follow-up movements”—reflects a climate of deepening paranoia within the regime’s security apparatus.

Election observers and human-rights lawyers note that such accusations have long served as tools for pre-emptive repression in Cameroon. Similar tactics were used after the 2018 polls, when opposition activists were arrested on fabricated charges of “inciting insurrection.” This time, the context is more volatile: Tchiroma’s camp has published verified procès-verbaux from across 18 departments showing him ahead of Paul Biya by a significant margin.

As of press time, no independent investigation has corroborated the police’s claims, and the opposition maintains that it has no link to any military activity. Sources close to the Tchiroma campaign describe the allegations as “a desperate attempt to justify an unlawful arrest.”

The leak underscores the regime’s growing difficulty in managing the post-electoral crisis. Reports from within the General Delegation for National Security (DGNS) indicate heightened surveillance and a coordinated effort to contain protests spreading from Garoua to Ngaoundéré and Yaoundé.

Whether the memo represents an official directive or a regional initiative remains unclear. What is certain is that public trust in state institutions continues to erode, as the line between governance and intimidation blurs.

Cameroon Concord will continue to verify the chain of custody of the leaked document and provide updates as events unfold.