The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concern Oct. 30 over the protests and repression that have swept Cameroon following the announcement of presidential election results. Mass protests erupted after the Constitutional Council announced Oct. 17 that President Paul Biya had won the election that took place five days earlier. The opposition rejected the results and proclaimed their candidate, Issa Tchirola Bakary, as the legitimate winner, urging citizens to demonstrate peacefully. Thousands took to the streets demanding recognition of an opposition victory, but clashes between protesters and security forces led to fatalities and numerous arrests. The protests have shaken the capital, Yaoundé; the economic capital, Douala; and the northern towns of Garoua and Maroua. Local jails are filled with opposition supporters who accuse Biya of rigging the elections. Biya is now to assume his eighth term in office, standing out as the world's oldest president, having ruled Cameroon for 43 years. (Jurist)