Cameroon is in shock following the death of Anicet Ekane, a prominent opposition leader and outspoken critic of President Paul Biya, who passed away while being held in state custody. His death has triggered widespread grief and anger in Yaoundé and across the country.
Maître Ngouana Ulrich Juvénal, one of Ekane’s defense lawyers, said legal teams were alerted early in the morning. “We received a call around 7 a.m. and went immediately to the national gendarmerie’s medical center. When we arrived, we met our colleagues, Professor Maurice Kamto and Honorable Nitcheu. There we discovered Ekane’s lifeless body and were forced to confront the tragic news,” he recounted.
According to Ngouana, Ekane’s health had sharply declined in the days preceding his death. “During our last visit on Tuesday, he was extremely weak and struggled to speak. He repeatedly asked to see his pulmonologist and requested a transfer to a hospital for proper treatment,” he said.
Civil society organizations have denounced the conditions of Ekane’s detention. Cyrille Rolande Bechon, Coordinator of the NGO New Human Rights, called the news “a shock to civil society,” emphasizing that Ekane had been held arbitrarily for more than 30 days an act she described as a clear violation of basic rights and Cameroon’s international obligations.
As Cameroonians in Douala, Yaoundé, and beyond react to the news, calls are growing for transparency, accountability, and justice in the circumstances surrounding Ekane’s death.
