Cameroon polls close amid boycott and violence

Reports indicate a poor turnout in Cameroon's long-delayed parliamentary and local elections on Sunday, amid a partial boycott and violence.

Polls closed at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT) and official results are expected within two weeks.

In Cameroon's English-speaking regions where there has been violent unrest for several years, clashes were reported in the town of Muyuka and witnesses reported hearing gunfire in the city of Buea and Kuma town.

Earlier in the week, separatist fighters in the Anglophone heartlands ordered a lockdown and some residents fled their homes for fear of possible confrontation between the militants and security forces.

While there was less disruption to voting in the country's French-speaking regions, AFP news agency said there were no crowds outside polling stations in one area of the capital, Yaoundé.

The opposition MRC party refused to put up candidates and called for a boycott of the poll.

The party leader's Maurice Kamto was jailed for nine months after losing the 2018 presidential election and now lives abroad.

Commentators believe there is no chance of President Paul Biya's RDPC party losing control of parliament.