Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane died in detention on Monday, according to his lawyer and family members, in a development likely to heighten political tensions in the country. Ekane, 74, head of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), had been arrested on 24 October following post-election protests, in what his party described as a “kidnapping” carried out by Cameroonian soldiers.
He had been facing charges of “hostility against the state,” “incitement to insurrection,” and “calls for civil disobedience,” allegations he denied prior to his death. His passing comes amid an already volatile situation in Cameroon, where security forces have killed 48 civilians while dispersing protests triggered by the re-election of President Paul Biya, 92, who has ruled the country since 1982 and is currently the world’s longest-serving head of state.
His lawyer, Ngwana Ulrich Juvenal, said Ekane was barely able to speak during a visit just days before his death, while his sister, Marianne Simon-Ekane, confirmed the news in a Facebook post.
The Cameroonian Ministry of Defense announced in a statement that it has launched an investigation into the cause of death. It said Ekane died at the National Gendarmerie Military Medical Center in Yaoundé, where he had been receiving treatment for a chronic illness from both military and private doctors.
Ekane’s party had stated in a 21 November communiqué that his oxygen machine and other essential medical equipment remained locked inside his car, which was being held at a military police station in Douala. The party accused the station’s commander of repeatedly blocking lawyers from retrieving the equipment, describing the situation as a “grave human rights violation” amounting to “deliberate killing.”
The arrest of Ekane—along with party member Florence Aimée Tetcho and other supporters of presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary—has sparked widespread condemnation from opposition groups, who have demanded their immediate and unconditional release. Tchiroma has fled to The Gambia, where authorities are hosting him on “humanitarian grounds.”