Anicet Ekane’s party has labelled his death a “political assassination” and accused Cameroon’s government of denying him medical care
Veteran Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane has died in custody after weeks of detention following protests over a disputed presidential election, his party and officials have announced.
Ekane, 74, head of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), was arrested on October 24 along with other opposition activists during demonstrations denouncing alleged fraud in the October 12 vote that handed 92-year-old President Paul Biya another term. He was detained on charges of hostility against the state and incitement of insurrection, according to his lawyer.
In a statement on Monday, MANIDEM said the politician died in arbitrary detention at the State Secretariat for Defense (SED) in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, after “being deprived for several days of his oxygen extractor, the medical equipment he needed, as well as access to his pulmonologist.”
“It is a crime of state, the unacceptable treatment inflicted on Anicet Ekane, who had always fought for liberties, social justice, sovereignty and the dignity of the Cameroonian people,” the party stated.
Augusta Epanya, an executive member of MANIDEM, has also called the opposition figure’s death “a political assassination.”
His lawyer, Emmanuel Simh, told AP that Ekane was “critically sick” but was denied appropriate treatment by the authorities.
The government has disputed accusations that Ekane was denied medical attention, insisting he received “appropriate care” from military doctors and his physicians while in custody.
Cameroon’s minister of communication, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, has expressed the government’s condolences to Ekane’s family and said President Biya has ordered an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
The incident comes amid allegations of a broader crackdown after Biya, the world’s oldest president, was declared winner with 53.66 % of the vote following a campaign marred by the exclusion of leading opponents. At least 55 people were killed in post-election unrest as security forces used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds, according to Human Rights Watch.
Biya’s main rival, former minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, had declared himself the winner and urged supporters to defend his victory. He fled to Gambia last month, where authorities say he has been granted asylum on humanitarian grounds.
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