Cameroon’s octogenarian president, Paul Biya, who has held power for 36 years, has won another term after an election marred by allegations of fraud and in which many people were too scared to vote.

Biya was declared the winner on Monday with 71.28% of the votes cast in the election on 7 October. Maurice Kamto, the opposition leader who had declared himself the winner a few hours after the polls closed, refused to attend the declaration ceremony after his party was said to have taken just 14% of the vote.

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has won a seventh term in office in polls marred by low turnout and voter intimidation.

Mr Biya, at 85 sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest leader, took 71.3% of the vote, according to official results.

Opposition calls for a re-run of the presidential election were rejected by the Constitutional Council last week.

Riot police were deployed on Sunday to the major cities of Yaoundé and Douala in case of opposition protests.

Cameroon’s two English-speaking provinces have been hit by more than a year of violent protests and attacks by separatist rebels which have left hundreds dead.

Two days before results were announced, Africa’s longest-serving President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of neighbouring Equatorial Guinea congratulated Mr Biya on his win.

Source : The Guardian and BBC News.