M. Kindzeka/VOA

Police officers Yaounde (file photo).

Cameroonian opposition politician, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who declared himself the winner of the October 12 presidential election, has reportedly left the country for neighboring Nigeria. This comes as protests against the official results, which declared President Paul Biya the winner, intensified across the country.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the violent crackdown of the post-election protests: "We call on the security forces to refrain from the use of lethal force, and on the protesters to demonstrate peacefully. The authorities must fully abide by their obligations under international human rights law, and political leaders and their supporters must refrain from violence and hate speech".

More than 20 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters since the declaration fo results, according to a local civil society group.