Cameroon opposition firebrand dies in detention aged 74

Left-wing Cameroonian opposition determine Anicet Ekane has died in detention, 5 weeks after he was arrested, his legal professionals and celebration have introduced.

Ekane, 74, was among the many leaders of an opposition coalition who endorsed Issa Tchiroma Bakary in October’s presidential election.

Tchiroma Bakary says he was the rightful winner of the ballot, formally received by 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya. Tchiroma Bakary has since fled to The Gambia.

No official explanation for Ekane’s loss of life has been introduced. His celebration has accused the authorities of denying him entry to his treatment – a cost the federal government has denied.

Based on a spokesman for Ekane’s African Motion for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem) celebration, Ekane died on Monday morning at a navy medical facility, after his well being worsened over the weekend.

“We now have no clarification… His spouse had been known as to return and when she discovered herself there, she was simply offered the corpse of her husband,” he mentioned.

He added that the household later took the corpse to the mortuary.

Defence ministry spokesman Capt Cyrille Serge Atonfack mentioned the Manidem chief had died from sickness, however didn’t give any additional particulars.

“The deceased, who suffered from numerous continual pathologies, had been interned on the Army Medical Centre of the Nationwide Gendarmerie,” he mentioned, including that the politician had been properly taken care of by medical doctors since his arrest on 24 October.

Authorities say an investigation has been launched to find out the precise circumstances of Ekane’s loss of life.

Based on Ekane’s legal professionals, he was accused of hostility towards the state, incitement to revolt, and requires rebel.

“He was by no means offered earlier than a choose or charged with any misdemeanour,” mentioned one among his legal professionals, Hippolyte Meli, in an announcement on social media, describing the detention of the Manidem celebration chief as “unlawful”.

In current weeks, rumours had circulated that the opposition determine had died, and Ekane’s party members had demanded to see him “dead or alive”.

His loss of life has despatched shockwaves throughout the nation, with supporters gathering on the celebration headquarters in Douala to grieve. Others have taken to venting their anger on-line.

Manidem says its premises have been surrounded by safety forces.

Ekane initially endorsed one other vibrant opposition determine, Maurice Kamto, for the presidential election. However Kamto, who endured an extended detention after disputing the earlier election in 2018, had his candidacy rejected upfront this time by each the electoral physique, Elecam, and the Constitutional Council, on the grounds that the celebration had endorsed a couple of candidate.

Ekane and different politicians went on to create the Union for Change Coalition with different politicians, which named former authorities spokesman Tchiroma Bakary as its candidate.

At the very least 48 individuals have been killed by Cameroon’s safety forces throughout protests towards the re-election of President Biya, in keeping with the UN.

This included a lot of individuals shot useless close to Tchiroma Bakary’s residence within the metropolis of Garoua. He later claimed that snipers had been stationed on the home throughout from his, and have been “firing at point-blank vary on the individuals”.

The Cameroonian authorities has denied any wrongdoing.

Extra reporting by Natasha Booty