Anicet Ekane, a prominent opposition leader and member of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem), has died in detention, his lawyer confirmed on Monday. Ekane had been in custody since October 24, when he was arrested during a government crackdown on post-election protests in Cameroon.
Ekane was accused of supporting Issa Tchiroma, a rival presidential candidate who declared himself the winner of the election, an announcement deemed subversive by the Cameroonian authorities. This sparked a violent crackdown, during which dozens of protesters and opposition supporters were killed.
Tchiroma has since fled the country and sought asylum in Gambia.
Ekane’s party, Manidem, had previously raised alarms over his health during his detention, accusing the police of seizing critical medical equipment. On November 21, the party reported that Ekane’s oxygen concentrator had been left behind in his vehicle when it was confiscated by police in Douala. The party condemned the confiscation as “gravely dangerous” to Ekane’s health, given his medical needs.
Ekane was a major figure in Cameroon’s leftist opposition, and his death has sparked further concerns over the state’s treatment of political dissenters.
