Tension has escalated in Cameroon following the death of veteran opposition politician Anicet Ekane, who passed away on Monday, while in detention in Yaoundé under the administration of President Paul Biya.
His death was confirmed by the Vice President of the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon, MANIDEM, Valentin Dongmo.
“Anicet Ekane died this morning in Yaoundé, where he had been transferred after his arrest at the end of October in Douala,” Dongmo said.
The exact cause of the 74-year-old’s death remains uncertain, but his lawyers reported that he had experienced severe breathing difficulties and deteriorating health conditions during his detention.
Ekane, a left-wing nationalist figure, was arrested in Douala on October 24, a day before the announcement of the presidential election results that returned 92-year-old Paul Biya to office for an eighth term.
He was also known to be close to fellow opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, one of the prominent figures who challenged Biya’s 43-year rule in the October 12 election.
According to Dongmo, Ekane was initially detained in Douala before being transferred to the State Defence Secretariat, SED, in Yaoundé, where his health reportedly worsened.
“We repeatedly alerted the authorities, including the military court administration, requesting that Anicet Ekane be moved to a hospital with adequate facilities, but our appeals went unanswered,” he said.
Dongmo added that as recently as Sunday, Ekane’s supporters had renewed their call for his “medical evacuation,” a request that also received no official response.
Tension in Cameroon as opposition leader, Ekane dies in detention by Biya’s govt
