The death of Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane while in detention has ignited outrage among political parties, activists, and civil society, with many pointing fingers at President Paul Biya’s government. Critics have described his passing as a “premeditated political execution.”
Ekane, 74, led the African Movement for the New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) and died on December 1 at the National Gendarmerie medical centre in Yaoundé, five weeks after his arrest in Douala. His party confirmed that he had been held at the State Secretariat for Defence (SED) under investigation for alleged “hostility against the nation, incitement to revolt, and calling for protest.”
Valentin Dongmo, MANIDEM’s vice president, recounted Ekane’s final days, noting that he was transferred to Yaoundé after his October arrest. The most pointed reaction came from opposition figure Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who described Ekane’s death as a display of “indescribable legal and human brutality.”
“Cameroon has lost a man. I have lost a brother,” Bakary said. “Anicet Ekane died in the jails of a regime that has no language left but humiliation, no strength left but brutality, no legitimacy left but fear.” He alleged that Ekane’s oxygen equipment had been confiscated despite his chronic respiratory issues, leaving him to struggle for every breath until it was too late.
Prominent activist and academic Professor Jean Bahebeck also condemned the circumstances of Ekane’s death, urging a transparent investigation. “Depriving a citizen of vital healthcare, especially when their condition is known, is an inexcusable fault of the State,” he said.
The Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) led by Maurice Kamto accused the government of deliberate murder. Acting president Mamadou Mota described Ekane’s death as “the execution of a premeditated political sentence carried out in the putrid cells of the SED.” According to the MRC, Ekane was arrested without a warrant and denied essential medical care, a factor they say directly contributed to his death. Cabral Libii’s PCRN party echoed these concerns, calling for a “serious and thorough investigation” and describing Ekane as a “pioneer and forerunner in the struggle for a fairer and more prosperous nation.”
Government officials have defended the handling of Ekane’s detention. Defence Ministry spokesman Capt Cyrille Serge Atonfack stated that Ekane had chronic illnesses but received appropriate medical care, while Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi offered condolences and confirmed that an investigation had been launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding his death.
Ekane’s arrest came in the tense aftermath of Cameroon’s disputed October 12 presidential election, which saw 92-year-old incumbent Biya declared the winner. Opposition candidates Bakary and Kamto both claimed victory, alleging widespread fraud. Ekane had endorsed Bakary’s candidacy, a decision that reportedly drew the government’s ire. Bakary has since fled to The Gambia, insisting he was the rightful winner.
The political fallout has been significant. Ekane’s death has sparked public mourning and outrage, with supporters gathering at MANIDEM headquarters in Douala, reportedly under heavy security presence. Citizens have taken to social media to voice anger at what they see as the government’s disregard for human rights. Lawyer Akere Muna called Ekane’s death “the extinguishing of a fierce and passionate flame that burned for democratic emancipation,” arguing that his failing health should have warranted release.
Observers warn that Ekane’s death may galvanize opposition movements and deepen mistrust of Biya’s government, which is already facing security challenges in the Anglophone regions and mounting economic pressures. Opposition leaders insist that the circumstances of Ekane’s passing must not be forgotten, viewing it as part of a broader pattern of repression and a stark reminder of the urgent need to protect political freedoms and detainees’ rights.
For many Cameroonians, Ekane was more than a politician. As Bakary described him, he was “a free voice, a pioneer, an indomitable conscience, one of the architects of democratic transition.” His death in detention has now become a potent symbol in the ongoing struggle for democracy in Cameroon.
