Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane, president of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem), has died in state detention, just over a month after his arrest in connection with the country’s ongoing post-election crisis.
Mr. Ekane’s death on Monday, December 1st, was confirmed by multiple sources. He had been arrested on October 24th following the contested presidential election of October 12th.
According to his lawyer, Emmanuel Simh, the opposition leader died “while deprived of his liberty.” The exact circumstances surrounding his death while in custody at the State Secretariat for Defense (SED) were not immediately clarified.
Authorities had accused Anicet Ekane of supporting Issa Tchiroma Bakary, another opposition figure who had declared himself the winner of the election and publicly denounced the re-election of incumbent President Paul Biya. This position was interpreted by the state as incitement to popular uprising.
The Manidem party had previously raised serious concerns regarding its leader’s health. Essential medical equipment required by Ekane, including an oxygen concentrator, had reportedly remained impounded since his arrest—a situation his family and allies deemed highly worrying.
Anicet Ekane was a prominent figure in the nationalist left dating back to the 1990s and a persistent critic of the Cameroonian political establishment. In the run-up to the recent elections, he had aligned himself first with Maurice Kamto and then with Issa Tchiroma Bakary.
His death further exacerbates the tense political scene in Yaoundé, which remains marked by ongoing opposition protests and the exile of Tchiroma to The Gambia, where he continues to claim electoral victory.
DM/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA