Political tensions have escalated sharply in Cameroon following the death of a prominent opposition leader while in state custody. Anicet Ekane, the 74-year-old head of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), passed away on Monday morning at a military medical facility, just five weeks after his arrest in late October.
Contested Circumstances of Death
According to statements from his legal team and political party, Ekane's health deteriorated significantly over the weekend before his death. A spokesman for MANIDEM provided a harrowing account, stating that Ekane's wife was summoned to the facility only to be presented with her husband's corpse. The family subsequently moved his body to a mortuary.
The opposition has levelled serious accusations against the authorities, claiming Ekane was denied access to essential medication during his detention. However, the Cameroonian government has firmly rejected these allegations. Defence Ministry spokesperson, Captain Cyrille Serge Atonfack, stated that Ekane succumbed to an unspecified illness and had received adequate medical care since his arrest on October 24.
Government spokesperson René Emmanuel Sadi extended condolences and confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the death. He insisted that both Ekane's personal physicians and military doctors attended to him.
A Leader Detained Without Trial
Ekane's lawyers revealed that he was apprehended on accusations of hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection. Crucially, they assert he was never formally charged or brought before a judge, labelling his detention as illegal. "He was never presented before a judge or charged with any misdemeanour," lawyer Hippolyte Meli declared on social media.
Prominent Cameroonian lawyer and anti-corruption advocate Akere Muna strongly criticised the government's actions. Mourning Ekane's passing as "the extinguishing of a fierce and passionate flame," Muna argued that basic humanity and the presumption of innocence should have secured his release for proper medical care with his family.
Death Fuels Existing Political Unrest
Ekane's death has ignited fresh outrage in a nation already simmering with political discontent. He was a key figure in the Union for Change Coalition, which endorsed Issa Tchiroma Bakary as its candidate in the October presidential election. Tchiroma Bakary claims he won that poll, which official results awarded to 92-year-old President Paul Biya, extending his more than four-decade rule. Tchiroma Bakary has since fled to The Gambia, citing threats to his safety.
The October election was marred by violence. The United Nations reported that at least 48 people were killed during protests against President Biya's re-election. Witnesses described scenes where protesters were shot near Tchiroma Bakary's residence, alleging snipers were positioned there.
In the wake of Ekane's death, supporters gathered at MANIDEM's headquarters in Douala to mourn, while social media platforms flooded with expressions of grief and anger. The incident has deepened distrust between the opposition and the government, casting a long shadow over Cameroon's political landscape and raising urgent questions about the treatment of detainees and political dissent in the country.
