YAOUNDE, Cameroon (Chatnewstv.com) — Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane, who was detained following protests against the re-election of longtime President Paul Biya, died Monday in custody, his lawyer and family said, a development likely to escalate political tensions in the Central African nation.
Ekane, 74, the leader of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) party, was arrested Oct. 24 following post-election demonstrations. He was being held on charges including hostility against the state and incitement to revolt, accusations he denied.
His lawyer, Ngouana Ulrich Juvenal, confirmed the death, telling reporters that during a visit just days before Ekane’s passing, the opposition figure was “barely able to speak.” Ekane’s sister, Mariane Simon-Ekane, confirmed the news on Facebook.
Cameroon’s Ministry of Defense issued a statement Monday, confirming Ekane died at the National Gendarmerie Military Medical Center in Yaounde. The ministry said Ekane had been receiving treatment for a chronic illness from both military and personal physicians and added that an investigation into the cause of death was underway.
However, Ekane’s party, MANIDEM, sharply criticized the conditions of his detention. In a Nov. 21 statement, the party alleged that the commander of the military police station in the commercial capital, Douala, repeatedly blocked efforts by lawyers to recover Ekane’s impounded oxygen concentrator and other essential medical devices.
The party condemned the official’s actions, calling it a “flagrant human rights violation” that amounted to a “programmed killing.”
Ekane’s death comes amidst a government crackdown following the October election that has seen security forces kill 48 civilians during protests against the re-election of President Biya, who at 92 is the world’s oldest ruler and has led the country since 1982.
Ekane’s detention, along with that of other opposition figures, including Florence Aimee Titcho and supporters of presidential contender Issa Tchiroma Bakary, had drawn condemnation from opposition groups, which demanded their immediate release. Tchiroma has since fled Cameroon and is being hosted in Gambia on humanitarian grounds, according to Gambian authorities.
