Vote counting is under way in Cameroon following Sunday's presidential election in which incumbent Paul Biya is seeking to extend his 43 years in power.
Biya, who at 92 is the world's oldest head of state, is being challenged by nine candidates. If he wins, it will be his eighth consecutive term in office, with the next election due in 2032.
Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji said that voting took place 'hitch-free' across the country. However, there were calls for a boycott in the English-speaking regions in the west and reports of clashes in the north.
The final result should be known within 15 days of the vote.
In the run-up to the election, there were complaints from the opposition regarding attempts to suppress their support.
In August, the Constitutional Council barred 71-year-old Maurice Kamto, widely viewed as the main challenger, from participating in the election.
On Sunday, angry supporters of leading opposition candidate and former Biya ally, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 76, took to the streets in his stronghold of Garoua. They clashed with security forces, who fired tear gas, after his residence was cordoned off.
Tchiroma said he was the subject of threats and declared, 'I am at home; I will not move. If they intend to come and take me away from home, I will not move.'
Despite this, Interior Minister Nji stated that the polls were held without major incidents in all 10 regions of the country. He did not comment on the situation in Garoua, but emphasized that some presidential candidates were planning to publish the results ahead of the official declaration, which he deemed as a major red line.
In the restive Anglophone regions, amidst threats from separatists attempting to bar residents from voting, some did turn out to polling stations, but many others stayed away for fear of reprisals.
