NAIROBI, Kenya 

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Cameroonian security forces of using lethal force, committing killings, and arbitrarily detaining hundreds of people in a violent post-election crackdown following the disputed Oct. 12 vote.

In a report released on Wednesday in Nairobi, the rights group said police and gendarmes fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse opposition-led protests contesting the re-election of President Paul Biya, 92, who was declared the winner on Oct. 27 with 53.66% of the vote.

Many protesters are said to have been shot dead by security forces and dozens left nursing gunshot wounds.

The rights group said it interviewed 20 witnesses, including relatives of victims, lawyers and opposition figures, documenting killings, injuries and arbitrary arrests in several cities.

UN sources reported that security forces killed 48 people, while opposition groups said the toll was 55.

Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW’s senior Africa researcher in a statement said that "the authorities should immediately rein in, investigate, and prosecute responsible security forces, and all political leaders should call on their supporters to reject violence."

Biya’s main challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, had declared himself the victor and alleged widespread fraud.

The HRW said hundreds of people, including minors, have been detained since the unrest with lawyers providing legal aid saying that as many as 2,000 people are being held across the country, many detainees have not been presented before a judge.

Allegrozzi urged authorities to free all those detained for peaceful protest and to uphold due process.

“The Cameroonian authorities should immediately release all those held in connection with peaceful protests or for peaceful expression of opposition to the government,” she said.

“Anyone committing violence should be appropriately charged with their due process rights fully respected, including their rights to bail and to a prompt and fair trial with an effective defense.”

Rene Emmanuel Sadi, Cameroon’s communication minister and government spokesman, defended the security operations in an address to reporters, saying authorities were confronting “illegal gatherings, roadblocks and violent mobs,” and warned that “those fomenting unrest will face the full force of the law.”

President Biya, the world’s longest-serving head of state, has ruled Cameroon since 1982, having removed presidential term limits in 2008.