Wayne Lumbasi
Anicet Ekane, 74, a leading opposition figure in Cameroon and president of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), has died while in military detention. His death on Monday, December 1st , has sparked widespread outrage and intensified political tensions in the aftermath of the disputed October 2025 presidential election.
Ekane was arrested on October 23 in Douala, just one day before the Constitutional Council declared President Paul Biya the winner with over 70% of the vote. He was detained alongside dozens of other opposition leaders who had supported challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary and faced charges including insurrection, hostility against the state, and incitement to revolt. Ekane was immediately transferred to a military facility in Yaoundé, where he was held without judicial oversight.
A long-time sufferer of chronic respiratory illness, Ekane relied on daily oxygen therapy and medication. His family and lawyers repeatedly informed the military tribunal that his personal oxygen concentrator had been confiscated and that he was not receiving adequate medical care. Despite repeated warnings that his condition was life-threatening, authorities denied requests to transfer him to a civilian hospital. Family members say that Ekane endured severe respiratory distress for at least a week before his death.
The Ministry of Defence issued a brief statement confirming that Ekane died “following an illness” and announced the opening of an investigation, without providing further details.
Human rights organizations and opposition coalitions have condemned the circumstances of his death as resulting from deliberate medical neglect.
MANIDEM and the broader Union for Change platform have called for an independent autopsy and an international inquiry into the case. His death marks the first instance in decades of a national-level opposition leader dying in state custody. Coming in the wake of post-election violence that claimed more than 55 lives, according to independent monitors, the incident has fueled public anger and heightened concerns about the erosion of political freedoms under President Biya’s 43-year rule.
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