Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane has died in detention, his family and lawyer confirmed on Monday, in a development likely to escalate political tensions in the country.
Ekane, 74, leader of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), was arrested on October 24 following post-election protests. His party described his detention as a “kidnapping” by Cameroonian soldiers. He faced charges of hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection, all of which he denied.
According to his lawyer, Ngouana Ulrich Juvenal, Ekane was barely able to speak during a visit just days before his death. His sister, Mariane Simon-Ekane, confirmed the news on Facebook.
Ekane’s party also accused authorities of withholding essential medical equipment, including an oxygen concentrator, which was locked in his impounded vehicle at a military police station in Douala. The party called the obstruction of legal access to his medical devices a “flagrant human rights violation” and described it as a “programmed killing.”
The news comes amid ongoing unrest following President Paul Biya’s re-election. Security forces reportedly killed 48 civilians during protests, and other opposition figures, including Florence Aimee Titcho, remain detained. Presidential contender Issa Tchiroma Bakary, whose supporters Ekane had backed, has fled to Gambia for humanitarian protection.
Cameroon’s authorities have not yet responded to requests for comment.
