Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane, 74, who supported a rival candidate in October’s presidential election, has died while in detention, his lawyer and family confirmed Monday.
Ekane, head of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), was arrested on October 24 following post-election protests, an action his party described as a “kidnapping” by Cameroonian soldiers. He faced charges of hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection—accusations he denied.
His death occurs amid rising anger in Cameroon, where security forces recently killed 48 civilians during demonstrations against the re-election of President Paul Biya, 92, who has ruled since 1982.
Ngouana Ulrich Juvenal, Ekane’s lawyer, said the opposition leader was barely able to speak during a visit days before his death. His sister, Mariane Simon-Ekane, confirmed the news on Facebook.
MANIDEM claimed that Ekane’s oxygen concentrator and other essential medical equipment were locked in his impounded vehicle at a military police station in Douala, and that repeated attempts to retrieve them were blocked by authorities—a move the party called a “flagrant human rights violation” and “programmed killing.”
Ekane’s detention, along with that of party member Florence Aimee Titcho and other supporters of presidential contender Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has drawn criticism from opposition groups calling for their immediate release. Tchiroma has since fled to Gambia, where he is reportedly being hosted on humanitarian grounds.
Cameroonian authorities have not responded to requests for comment.
