Cameroonian Opposition Leader Passes Away

Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane has died in detention in Yaounde, his party said on Monday.

Valentin Dongmo, vice president of Ekane’s African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon (Manidem), told AFP that Ekane, 74, passed away after being transferred to Yaounde following his arrest in Douala at the end of October.

“Anicet Ekane died this morning in Yaounde, where he had been transferred after his arrest,” Dongmo said.

The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear. Ekane’s health reportedly worsened while in custody at the State Defence Secretariat (SED), despite repeated requests by his supporters for medical attention.

“We repeatedly asked the authorities, including the military court, to transfer Anicet Ekane to a hospital, but our requests were ignored,” Dongmo said.

Ekane was arrested on October 24, just before the announcement of the presidential election results that returned 92-year-old Paul Biya to power for an eighth term. He and other opposition figures were detained for publicly supporting rival candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

Born in Douala in 1951, Ekane began his political career with the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) in 1973 before founding Manidem in 1995. He ran for president under Manidem in 2004 and 2011.

Ekane’s death has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many condemning what they called the “arbitrary arrest” and lack of proper medical care.