By Tansa Musa
YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Anti-government riots paralysedCameroon's capital and main port on Wednesday as popular angerexploded over high fuel and food prices and a bid by PresidentPaul Biya to extend his 25-year rule.
Local journalists said one protester was killed by armedpolice on Wednesday in the southwest town of Buea. The unrest-- the worst in over 15 years in the central African oilproducer -- has killed at least seven people since it broke outat the weekend in the port of Douala, a major African shippinghub.
In his first public reaction to the rioting, Biya appearedon state television to accuse political opponents of fomentingthe protests to try to topple him.
"The objective is to attain through violence what they wereunable to obtain through the ballot box," the Cameroonianpresident said, sombre-faced and wearing a suit.
Biya said his government would use "all legal means" toguarantee the rule of law.
He said the riots had destroyed public buildings, shops andbusinesses and caused a number of deaths, but gave no precisetoll. Those involved had included "delinquents motivated by theprospect of looting", he said.
The rioting spread on Wednesday to the capital Yaoundeafter sweeping through western towns in the last four days.
Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in both cities,sometimes using helicopters to drop gas canisters from the air.
State radio appealed for calm, saying the government hadagreed with union leaders to make cuts in gasoline and fuelprices, one of the key demands of the protesters. But peopleexpressed outrage at the small size of the reductions.
In Yaounde, bands of stone-throwing youths blocked streetswith barricades of burning tyres and timber. Businesses andshops closed and parents rushed to fetch their children fromschools. Some vehicles were smashed and torched.
"FED UP"
Some protesters chanted slogans against Biya, whoseannouncement last month that he might seek changes in theconstitution to prolong his mandate has angered many oppositionsupporters. "Biya has gone too far, he must go," shouted onedemonstrator in Yaounde.
Others chanted: "We're fed up".
In the commercial capital of Douala, a police helicopterdropped tear gas on hundreds of protesters who marched todemand bigger cuts in fuel and food prices. As the marchersscattered in panic on Wouri Bridge, some fell into the river.
Witnesses saw police arrest dozens of protesters, takingthem away in trucks. Some were beaten with rifle butts, thewitnesses said. Anti-government protests were also reported inBamenda in the northwest.
Cameroon is the world's fourth largest cocoa producer butno details were immediately available on disruption toshipments.
Cameroon's government and union leaders reached anagreement late on Tuesday to end a taxi drivers' strike whichhad triggered the rioting and widespread looting.
The government agreed to cut the price of a litre ofgasoline to 594 CFA francs (68 pence) from 600. Similar smallreductions were agreed for other fuel products like kerosene.
The riots followed similar protests against the high costof living in other West African countries after soaring oilprices pushed up prices for energy products and basicfoodstuffs.
Biya announced eight weeks ago he might change theconstitution to stay in power when his term ends in 2011.Critics say Biya, 75, could use his party's majority inparliament to make the constitutional modifications.
(Additional reporting by Talla Ruben in Doula; writing byPascal Fletcher)
