“Cameroon’s influential Catholic Church has called for calm as fears grow that tensions could erupt once the authorities declare the official results of the presidential election. In a statement released by the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), the Catholic Bishops expressed the need for peace and stability.

The clerics said they hope the official results will reflect the will of the electorate, and “the authorities involved in this exercise will not change anything”.

This comes as Cameroonian opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has begun releasing results from some administrative areas in his latest move to prove he won the October 12 presidential election.