Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane, who supported a rival candidate in October’s presidential election, died in custody on Monday, his lawyer and family confirmed.Ekane, 74, headed the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) party.
He was arrested on October 24 following post-election protests, an action his party described as a “kidnapping” by Cameroonian soldiers.
Authorities had accused him of hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection, charges he consistently denied.
His death comes amid heightened anger in Cameroon, where security forces recently killed 48 civilians during demonstrations protesting the re-election of President Paul Biya, 92, who has been in power since 1982.
Ekane’s lawyer, Ngouana Ulrich Juvenal, said his client was barely able to speak during a visit just days before his death. His sister, Mariane Simon-Ekane, confirmed the news on Facebook.
On November 21, Ekane’s party stated that his oxygen concentrator and other critical medical equipment were locked inside his impounded vehicle at a military police station in Douala. They accused the station commander of repeatedly blocking lawyers from retrieving the devices, describing it as a “flagrant human rights violation” amounting to a “programmed killing.”
Cameroonian authorities have not responded to requests for comment from Reuters.
The arrest of Ekane, along with party member Florence Aimee Titcho and other supporters of presidential contender Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has drawn criticism from opposition groups demanding their immediate release. Tchiroma fled to Gambia, where officials say he is being hosted on humanitarian grounds.
