Nearly three months after the death of Cameroon’s prominent opposition figure Anicet Ekane in military detention, authorities have agreed to release his body to his family.
Ekane, 74, died on 1 December last year, about five weeks after his arrest. Since then, his remains have been kept under judicial seal at the mortuary of Yaoundé Central Hospital. The seal was imposed following a decision by the government commissioner at the military court.
The decision to allow the family to retrieve his body comes after two formal requests were filed by their lawyers. The move clears the way for Ekane’s widow to begin making funeral arrangements.
In addition to securing the release of his remains, the family’s legal team says it hopes to obtain the autopsy report in the coming days. The findings have not yet been made public.
Ekane was among several opposition leaders accused of insurrection and rebellion after backing Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s claim of victory in October’s presidential election. Official results, however, declared 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya the winner, granting him another seven-year term.
The disputed election sparked deadly protests in several parts of Cameroon, as Bakary rejected the official outcome and declared himself the rightful winner before later fleeing the country.
Biya, who has been in power since 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon’s first president, remains one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
