Cameroonian Opposition Leader Anicet Ekane Dies in Detention

By Ademola Adekusibe
1st December 2025

Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane has died while in detention in Yaounde, an official of his party confirmed on Monday.

Valentin Dongmo, vice president of the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon (Manidem), told reporters that Ekane died on Monday morning after being transferred to the capital following his arrest in Douala at the end of October.

The exact circumstances surrounding the 74-year-old’s death remain unclear.

Ekane, a left-wing nationalist and longtime critic of the government, was arrested on October 24, a day before the release of presidential election results that returned 92-year-old Paul Biya to power for an eighth term.

According to Dongmo, Ekane was held at the State Defence Secretariat (SED) in Yaounde, where his health reportedly deteriorated. He said the party repeatedly appealed to authorities, including the military court, requesting that Ekane be moved to a hospital capable of providing adequate treatment. None of the requests were granted.

He added that supporters had made a final appeal for medical evacuation just a day before Ekane’s death.

Ekane and several other political figures had been detained for publicly supporting opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who contested Biya’s continued hold on power after the October 12 presidential election.

Manidem had earlier described the arrests as “arbitrary” and aimed at intimidating dissenting voices.

Born in Douala in 1951, Ekane joined the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) in 1973 before leaving to form Manidem in 1995. He was previously arrested in 1990 alongside the Yondo Black group and was convicted in a military trial before receiving a pardon months later. Ekane later led Manidem and ran for president in 2004 and 2011.

News of his death has sparked widespread reaction across social media, with many calling for an investigation into the conditions of his detention.