By: Ojay Matthew
Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane has died in detention in Yaounde, the vice president of his party, Valentin Dongmo, told AFP on Monday. Ekane, 74, had been transferred to the capital after his arrest in Douala at the end of October, just ahead of the announcement of presidential election results that secured 92-year-old Paul Biya an eighth term in office. The exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
Ekane, a left-wing nationalist and founder of the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon (Manidem), was arrested for publicly supporting fellow opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s challenge to Biya’s long-standing rule. Dongmo said Ekane’s health deteriorated while in detention at the State Defence Secretariat, and repeated requests from the party for his transfer to a hospital with proper medical facilities were denied. Manidem described the arrests of Ekane and other opposition leaders as “arbitrary” attempts to intimidate Cameroonians.
Born in Douala in 1951, Ekane joined the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon in 1973 before forming Manidem in 1995. He previously faced arrest in 1990 as part of the Yondo Black group but was later pardoned. Ekane ran as Manidem’s presidential candidate in 2004 and 2011 and led the party for several years. His death has prompted widespread reactions on social media, reflecting the deep impact he had on Cameroon’s political landscape.
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