As Cameroon approaches its highly anticipated presidential election on 12 October 2025, the government appears to be intensifying its crackdown on political activists. One notable figure at the centre of this storm is Muteminui Charles, a Cameroonian activist based in Brussels, Belgium, known for his vocal opposition to the Cameroonian regime.
Charles, who has led several protests in Brussels against the government, gained further prominence after calling for a boycott of the election. This call followed the contentious disqualification of Maurice Kamto, leader of the main opposition, who filed candidacy under the MANIDEM party.
Kamto’s candidacy was initially rejected by the elections management body, ELECAM. In its publication, ELECAM stated the reason for disqualification was that the MANIDEM party had submitted nominations for two candidates. Following ELECAM’s decision to exclude Kamto from the race, he appealed to the Constitutional Council, which upheld the ruling. Opposition figures and international observers widely denounced the decisions as politically motivated, arguing they eliminated President Paul Biya’s most significant challenger.
In the wake of Kamto’s disqualification, many Cameroonians attempted to protest but were brutally subdued. Several protesters were detained, facing serious charges including incitement to rebellion. A student journalist working with The Post suffered the same fate and was only released 24 hours later, after wide condemnation from journalists and human rights advocates.
Protests also erupted internationally, with Cameroonian nationals demonstrating outside embassies abroad. Among those reportedly flagged by authorities for mobilising such efforts is Charles Muteminui. Authorities allege Charles’s rhetoric has grown increasingly forceful, including promises to disrupt the electoral process.
Abroad, some Cameroonians were arrested in Belgium after they staged a violent protest in front of Cameroon’s Embassy there. The irate protests were sparked by the Constitutional Council’s decision to uphold ELECAM’s decision to disqualify Maurice Kamto from the October 12 Presidential election.
Sources within security circles allege that Charles secretly entered Cameroon via Nigeria. It is feared that he and others are planning to disrupt October’s elections. Security sources claim intelligence indicates he is hiding with his sister, Yvonne Afah, in Douala. Acting on this information, security forces reportedly raided Yvonne’s residence and arrested her.
She is said to have been transferred to the Bonanjo Central Police Station, where she was interrogated and allegedly subjected to torture to reveal her brother’s whereabouts.
Fearing a broader crackdown, Charles’s wife and children have reportedly gone into hiding, fearing they could be targeted next or potentially used to pressure Charles into revealing himself.
As of this report, the whereabouts of Muteminui Charles remain unknown.
Muteminui Charles, based in Belgium, is known for his vocal opposition to the Biya regime in Cameroon that has been in power for 43 years and counting. Before fleeing Cameroon, he was a known member of the Southern Cameroons’ National Council, SCNC, a group that has long advocated for the independence of Southern Cameroons from today’s modern Cameroon state. He is allegedly among Anglophone Cameroonians in the Diaspora supporting and backing separatist Ambazonia movements on the ground for nearly a decade, fighting for independence in Cameroon.