Cameroon’s opposition leader Anicet Ekane dies while in custody

Anicet Ekane, a prominent opposition leader in Cameroon, has passed away at the age of 74 after spending several weeks in detention, according to his family and legal representatives. They allege he was denied adequate medical treatment despite suffering from severe breathing difficulties.

Ekane was detained in late October alongside other senior members of his African Movement for New Independence and Democracy party amid nationwide protests sparked by fraud allegations in the presidential election. His lawyer, Emmanuel Simh, told The Associated Press that Ekane faced charges of insurrection.

“Mr. Ekane was critically ill and was refused appropriate medical care,” Simh stated. “We remain in shock and mourning. He committed no crime, so it is imperative to understand why he was arrested and left abandoned in a paramilitary gendarmerie prison cell.”

Cameroon’s Communications Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, expressed the government’s condolences and confirmed that President Paul Biya has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Ekane’s death.

Ekane was one of the opposition leaders contesting the results of the October 12 election, in which Biya, the world’s eldest president at 92, was declared the winner for another term. Rival candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory instead and urged Cameroonians to reject the official outcome.

On Monday, Cameroon’s Defense Ministry stated that Ekane died “following an illness” and confirmed that an investigation has been launched. According to the ministry, “The deceased, who suffered from various chronic conditions, had been hospitalized at the National Gendarmerie Military Medical Center. He received appropriate care from the Military Medical Corps alongside his personal doctors and benefited from additional monitoring in local hospitals.”

Both Ekane’s party and the Union for Change coalition he led have condemned his death as a “murder” and have demanded an international investigation.

Muna Ekane, Ekane’s eldest son, told the AP that his father’s health deteriorated on Sunday. “He had been struggling to breathe for a week; he was suffocating,” Muna said. “Although diagnosed in detention, he did not receive proper treatment. He had difficulty eating, and we spent the entire week alerting public authorities about his worsening condition, but no action was taken.”

He did not specify the diagnosis, describing it only as “respiratory problems,” and suggested that his father’s arrest was linked to his support for Tchiroma, who fled to Gambia last month.

Following the election results, deadly protests erupted in key opposition regions. While the government reports 16 deaths, opposition groups and human rights organizations estimate the toll exceeds 55.

The European Union has called for the release of those it considers “arbitrarily detained” since the election.Cameroon’s opposition leader Anicet Ekane dies in detention

Cameroon’s leading opposition figure, Anicet Ekane, has died at age 74 after weeks in detention, his family and lawyers said Monday, alleging he was denied proper medical care despite struggling to breathe.

Ekane was arrested in late October alongside other top figures of his African Movement for New Independence and Democracy party as protests rattled the country over allegations of fraud in the presidential election. He was detained on charges of insurrection, his lawyer Emmanuel Simh told The Associated Press.

“Mr. Ekane was critically sick, he was denied appropriate treatment,” Simh said. “We’re still in the shock and sadness. Ekane committed no crime, so we need to know why he was arrested and abandoned in the prison cell of the paramilitary gendarmerie.”Cameroon’s communication minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, expressed the government’s regret and said President Paul Biya has ordered an investigation into the circumstances leading to Ekane’s death.

Ekane was among opposition figures objecting to the result of the Oct. 12 election in which Biya, the world’s oldest president at 92, was declared the winner of another term. Rival candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed to have won and has called on Cameroonians to reject the official result.Cameroon’s defense ministry on Monday said Ekane died “following an illness.” It said an investigation has been opened.

“The deceased, who suffered from various chronic illnesses, had since been hospitalized at the National Gendarmerie Military Medical Center,” the ministry said. “He was receiving appropriate care from the Military Medical Corps, in conjunction with his personal physicians, and benefiting from additional follow-up care in local hospitals.”Both Ekane’s party and the Union for Change political platform that he led asserted in statements that he was “murdered,” and called for an international investigation.

Muna Ekane, Ekane’s eldest son, told the AP his father’s health had worsened Sunday.

“For one week, he had difficulties breathing; he was suffocating,” the son said. “He was diagnosed while in detention but no proper treatment was followed. He had difficulties eating. We spent the whole week alerting public authorities about his worsening health situation but nothing was done.”

He did not say what his father was diagnosed with, describing it as “respiratory problems.”He added that he believed his father had been arrested for supporting Tchiroma, who fled to Gambia last month.