Anicet Ekane, a prominent Cameroonian opposition figure, died on Monday while being held in detention in Yaounde, according to Valentin Dongmo, vice president of the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon (Manidem). Ekane, 74, had been transferred to the capital following his arrest in Douala at the end of October. The circumstances of his death remain uncertain, clouded by gaps in transparency.
Ekane, a left-wing nationalist who consistently challenged President Paul Biya’s decades-long rule, was arrested on October 24, just before the release of presidential election results that handed the 92-year-old leader an eighth term. He was closely aligned with opposition figure Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who contested Biya’s 43-year hold on power in the October 12 vote.
Dongmo said Ekane was detained at the State Defence Secretariat in Yaounde, where his health began to decline. Manidem repeatedly appealed to authorities, including the military court, seeking his transfer to a hospital with adequate medical facilities. None of these requests received approval, Dongmo added, noting that supporters had renewed calls for a medical evacuation as recently as Sunday.
Ekane and several other political actors were arrested for publicly endorsing Bakary’s self-declared victory before the release of official results. Manidem condemned the arrests as arbitrary efforts to intimidate the population.
Born in Douala in 1951, Ekane joined the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) in 1973 before leaving to establish Manidem in 1995. He was arrested in 1990 with members of the Yondo Black group, convicted in a military trial, and later pardoned. Ekane went on to lead Manidem for years and contested the presidency in 2004 and 2011.
