Gambiaj.com – (DOUALA, Cameroon) – Anicet Ekane, a veteran opposition leader and one of the most prominent political supporters of exiled presidential challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary, died in detention overnight between Sunday and Monday, December 1, his family and lawyers confirmed. He was 68.
Ekane, president of the Manidem party and a longstanding critic of President Paul Biya’s regime, had been arrested on October 24 in Douala, just a day after the disputed presidential election, and transferred to the State Secretariat for Defense (SED) in Yaoundé, where he remained until his death.
His death comes amid heightened political tension following the vote, in which Tchiroma Bakary, now in exile in The Gambia, emerged as Paul Biya’s main challenger and claims to have won the election.
Ekane was among the earliest and most vocal political figures to endorse Tchiroma’s victory, a stance that led to his arrest on accusations of insurrection and rebellion.
Support for Tchiroma at the Center of His Arrest
Ekane, who had initially backed Maurice Kamto before openly rallying behind Tchiroma Bakary, became a central figure in the opposition’s post-election challenge.
Authorities accused him and other opposition leaders of destabilizing the state after they publicly recognized Tchiroma Bakary as the rightful winner of the election.
His lawyers say his arrest was purely political, driven by his strong alignment with the exiled challenger. “Mr. Ekane was very ill. He could simply have been released while the proceedings continued. Unfortunately, that’s not what was decided,” said his lawyer, Emmanuel Simh.
Deteriorating Health and Failed Appeals
According to his legal team, Ekane’s health sharply declined in the days leading to his death, despite treatment at a military garrison hospital. On Sunday, November 30, Manidem issued an urgent statement calling for his immediate transfer to a better-equipped medical facility.
The party warned that the government would bear full responsibility should authorities refuse.
Their fears proved prescient. Just hours later, his family and lawyers confirmed his death, 38 days after his arrest.
The Ministry of Defense has announced an investigation to determine the “precise circumstances” of Ekane’s death, insisting he was receiving “appropriate care” under joint supervision by military doctors and his personal physicians.
A Pillar of Cameroon’s Opposition Movement
Ekane’s passing has triggered shockwaves across Cameroon. Local media interrupted broadcasts to cover the news, and tributes flooded social media, reflecting the depth of his influence on generations of activists.
A political actor for nearly five decades, Ekane was part of the historic 1990s movement demanding multiparty democracy and a national conference, reforms the Biya government resisted.
Arrested and convicted by a military tribunal in 1990 for alleged subversive activities, he went on to build Manidem into a left-leaning party defending social justice and the marginalized.
He often described himself as an heir to Cameroon’s nationalist icons, Ruben Um Nyobè, Félix-Roland Moumié, and Ernest Ouandié, and remained a stubborn critic of political repression.
A Death That Deepens Post-Election Tensions
Ekane’s death is likely to inflame an already volatile post-election climate. For supporters of Tchiroma Bakary, the death of one of their most committed allies in state custody reinforces their claims of political persecution.
With the main challenger now in exile and his supporters facing arrests, Cameroon enters an uncertain period, one in which Ekane’s death may become a rallying point for a fractured but determined opposition.
