• Maurice Kamto, main rival to President Biya, is barred from the presidential election.
• Kamto's exclusion heightens tensions and risks of protests in Cameroon.
• President Paul Biya, aged 92, seeks re-election after nearly 43 years in power.

Cameroon's electoral commission, ELECAM, announced that Maurice Kamto, the most prominent challenger to President Paul Biya, was barred from the presidential elections set for October 12. The official statement was made during a press conference where the commission revealed a list of 13 approved candidates, glaringly absent of Kamto. No reasons were provided for his exclusion, and those who were not listed have two days to appeal the decision, according to Reuters.

Kamto, a university professor and a former government minister, was seen as Biya's main competitor, having come in second place in the 2018 elections with 14 percent of the vote. His exclusion from the race raises significant concerns of unrest, especially as it leaves only 12 candidates among the more than 80 applicants vying for a chance against Biya, who has dominated Cameroonian politics since 1982, according to Africanews and Al Jazeera.

The election atmosphere has already led to heightened security measures, particularly around ELECAM headquarters and major roads in Yaoundé and Douala, in anticipation of potential protests. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security has warned that Kamto's exclusion may ignite unrest in these cities, further influencing the already tense political landscape as Biya seeks another term amid accusations of previous electoral fraud, according to Reuters, Africanews, and Al Jazeera.