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Cameroon: Veteran Opposition Leader Anicet Ekane Dies in Military Custody, Sparking Outrage

04:55 AM, 12/02/2025
Cameroon: Veteran Opposition Leader Anicet Ekane Dies in Military Custody, Sparking Outrage

Anicet Ekane, 74, has died in military custody in Yaounde, 38 days after being detained in Douala on October 24, his family and lawyers say. They allege he suffered severe respiratory distress and was denied adequate care; authorities say he received treatment and an investigation is under way. Ekane’s death has provoked widespread anger amid the disputed presidential vote that kept Paul Biya in power, renewing demands for accountability and the release of detainees. International and domestic actors are calling for a transparent probe into the circumstances.

Anicet Ekane, 74, a veteran opposition leader, has died in military custody in Yaounde, 38 days after his detention in the port city of Douala on October 24, his family and legal representatives said.

Ekane led the left-wing African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM). He was detained after publicly backing Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a challenger to President Paul Biya who has rejected the official election results.

Family members say Ekane's condition deteriorated sharply in the final week of his detention, suffering severe respiratory distress and struggling to breathe. "For one week, he had difficulties breathing; he was suffocating," his eldest son, Muna Ekane, said. The family says they repeatedly alerted officials but received no adequate response.

"We’re still in shock and sadness," said Ekane's lawyer, Emmanuel Simh. "Ekane committed no crime, so we need to know why he was arrested and abandoned."

Authorities say Ekane received care from military medical staff working alongside his personal physicians and that an investigation into the circumstances of his death has been opened. Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi expressed regret, and President Paul Biya ordered a probe. Ekane’s party has described the death as "murder," and the European Union delegation in Cameroon said it was "deeply saddened," reiterating calls for the release of those detained after the election.

Ekane spent nearly five decades in political activism and emerged as an important figure in the early 1990s movement for multiparty democracy. Many supporters regarded him as a successor to Cameroon’s nationalist leaders; he was present when independence fighter Ernest Ouandie was executed and remained a persistent advocate for social justice throughout his career.

His death arrives amid a fraught post-election environment. The government reports 16 deaths in protests following the declared results, while opposition groups and human rights organisations put the toll above 55. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the candidate Ekane supported, reportedly left the country for the Gambia last month.

Human rights groups, opposition parties and international observers are demanding a transparent, independent investigation and accountability for any mistreatment of detainees. Ekane’s death is likely to deepen political tensions and intensify calls for answers from both domestic and international actors.

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