Opposition leader Tchiroma of Cameroon claims that devoted troops escorted him to safety

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the head of the opposition in Cameroon, claimed on Friday that soldiers who support him had taken him to a safe place for his protection. This action may indicate a rift within the army after a contentious election.

Following an October 12 presidential election in which he declared victory, Tchiroma has been hiding out in his home in the northern city of Garoua.

He did not specify the number of soldiers, but his claim that army members are loyal to him may point to a division within the nation’s security apparatus.

In a post on his Facebook page, Tchiroma said, “I express my gratitude to the loyalist army, which has demonstrated its patriotism by escorting me to a secure location and is currently guaranteeing my safety.”

The defense ministry of the central African country declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

President Paul Biya, who is 92 years old and the oldest ruler in the world, was proclaimed the victor of the election by Cameroon’s Constitutional Council on Monday. This sparked violent protests in a number of the country’s towns, which produce cocoa and oil.

A civil society group claims that security forces have killed at least 23 demonstrators and detained over 500 others, further escalating tensions in the nation following the contentious election.

In a further Facebook post on Friday, Tchiroma demanded a three-day nationwide lockdown starting on Monday and urged supporters to stay indoors and refrain from any activity in protest of the election’s outcome.

“Let the entire country come to a standstill, so that the whole world knows that we are resisting and that we will not yield,” Tchiroma was filmed saying.

“Let us keep our shops closed, suspend our activities, remain at home, in silence, to demonstrate our solidarity and to remind this regime that the strength of an economy is its people.”