By Synthia Lateu
Prominent opposition figure Anicet Ekane was confirmed dead in detention on Monday morning, cutting short his vocal campaign for change in Cameroon. His death was confirmed by Barrister Simh, a lawyer closely involved in his legal affairs.
Ekane’s passing has saddened many, who have condemned the conditions of his detention. His party, The African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), said he was arrested on October 24 without a summons and taken to SED.
Anicet Ekane, was a leading opposition figure who inspired hope among supporters of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM). He was an active participant in politics under his party, MANIDEM. He gained prominence after endorsing Maurice Kamto and defending the candidate’s right to participate in the 2025 presidential elections, despite government threats and legal challenges.
Government narratives had claimed that CRM was not eligible to participate in the presidential race, citing the party’s boycott of the 2020 legislative and municipal elections. Kamto challenged these claims, asserting the legality of his candidacy and advocating for his participation.
MANIDEM submitted Kamto’s candidacy for the elections, but ELECAM rejected the file due to multiple endorsements. The Constitutional Council later upheld this decision. Kamto described the process as “unprecedented administrative barbarity and judicial arbitrariness.” He later praised MANIDEM’s leadership, commending Anicet Ekane and party members for their “patriotic spirit” and “goodwill” during their year-long collaboration.
Following Kamto’s elimination from the race, Anicet Ekane gained further prominence when he endorsed Issa Tchiroma Bakary, campaigning alongside him and defending his candidacy. After the October 12 polls, Ekane publicly affirmed that Tchiroma was the third president of Cameroon and stated that his camp would not appeal to the Constitutional Council, insisting that the publicly declared vote counts were final.
Through his movement, Union for Change, Ekane remained active in defending Tchiroma’s declared position after the Constitutional Council confirmed Paul Biya as President and Tchiroma as runner-up.
Amid heightened political tensions in the post-electoral period, Ekane was arrested. MANIDEM confirmed that several of its leaders in Douala were detained alongside him on October 24. He was reportedly tortured and denied access to his personal oxygen-supported equipment while in detention, where he was later confirmed dead.
Ekane incarnates the fight for multiparty politics in the 1990s in Cameroon. He fought for a better Cameroon and died without being tried.
