Tensions Rise as Cameroonian Opposition Leader Dies in Detention
- Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane has died in detention, five weeks after he was arrested
- Ekane, 74, was among the leaders of an opposition coalition who endorsed Issa Tchiroma Bakary in October's presidential election
- His lawyers and the party have announced that he died on Monday morning at a military medical facility, after his health worsened over the weekend
Yaoundé - Cameroon has been thrown into shock and outrage following the death of veteran opposition leader Anicet Ekane, who passed away in detention just five weeks after he was arrested.
Ekane, 74, led the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) and was one of the political figures who backed Issa Tchiroma Bakary in the October presidential election.
Source: Twitter
Tchiroma Bakary insists he won the poll, which authorities declared in favour of 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who has been in power for more than four decades. Tchiroma has since fled to The Gambia after claiming he was targeted.
No official cause of death has been released. However, Ekane’s party and legal team accuse the authorities of denying him access to essential medication, an allegation the government strongly denies.
According to a spokesman for Ekane's African Movement for New Independence and Democracy party, Ekane died on Monday morning at a military medical facility after his health worsened over the weekend.
"We have no clarification... His wife had been called to come and when she found herself there, she was just presented the corpse of her husband," he said.
He added that the family later took the corpse to the mortuary.
Government insists he received proper medical care
According to the BBC, Cameroon’s Defence Ministry spokesperson, Captain Cyrille Serge Atonfack, said Ekane died from an unspecified illness and had been receiving adequate medical treatment since his arrest on October 24.
He explained that Ekane suffered from “various chronic pathologies” and was being cared for at the Military Medical Centre of the National Gendarmerie.
Government spokesperson René Emmanuel Sadi also issued condolences to the family and the MANIDEM party, adding that both Ekane’s personal doctors and military doctors attended to him.
He announced that the government has opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the opposition leader’s death.
Lawyer reacts to Cameroon's opposition leader's death
Prominent Cameroonian lawyer and anti-corruption advocate Akere Muna mourned Ekane’s passing, calling it “the extinguishing of a fierce and passionate flame” dedicated to democratic freedom.
Muna revealed that Ekane had privately disclosed his deteriorating health condition to him in their last conversation.
The senior lawyer criticised the government for keeping Ekane in custody despite his fragile health, saying basic humanity and the presumption of innocence should have guaranteed his release for medical care.
"One would have thought that basic humanity, the fundamental presumption of innocence, and the undeniable evidence of his failing health would have compelled his release to his family and the care of the medical experts who knew his condition," Muna said.
Accused of incitement, never charged - Ekane's lawyer
According to Ekane’s lawyers, he was accused of hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection.
However, they insist he was never brought before a judge, never charged, and was being detained illegally.
"He was never presented before a judge or charged with any misdemeanour," said one of his lawyers, Hippolyte Meli, in a statement on social media.
Source: Twitter
His detention had already sparked rumours in recent weeks, prompting supporters to demand the government present him dead or alive.
Following news of his death, supporters gathered at MANIDEM’s headquarters in Douala to mourn, while others expressed anger on social media.
Political tensions escalate
Ekane was initially a supporter of opposition heavyweight Maurice Kamto, who was barred from contesting the election after his party endorsed more than one candidate — a move rejected by both Elecam and the Constitutional Council.
As a result, Ekane and several others formed the Union for Change Coalition, which selected Tchiroma Bakary as its presidential candidate.
That election, like many before it, sparked deadly confrontations. According to the United Nations, at least 48 people were killed during protests against President Biya’s re-election.
Witnesses say several protesters were shot near Tchiroma Bakary’s residence, where snipers were allegedly positioned and firing at close range.
The Cameroonian government continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Cameroon opposition declares self winner
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Cameroon faced tension as opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary released self-declared results claiming victory in the October 12 presidential election.
The ruling CPDM party, led by President Paul Biya, dismissed Tchiroma’s claims as false while the electoral commission began the final vote collation process.
Fears of unrest grew as Tchiroma urged citizens to defend their votes and called on the international community to support what he called the people’s will.
Source: Legit.ng
