A statement by Djeukam Tchameni, a political figure currently imprisoned, has ignited tensions between MANIDEM (African Movement for New Independence and Democracy) and himself regarding the funeral of Anicet Ekane, who died in detention on December 1, 2025.
In the statement, dated May 5, 2026, Tchameni denounces what he considers maneuvers by the ruling power to disrupt the tribute to Anicet Ekane. He accuses the regime of confiscating the body, performing an autopsy without the presence of the family, and sowing discord within the biological family and MANIDEM, the party of which Ekane was the president. The source of the tension lies in Tchameni's announcement of sending a delegation from the UPC (Union of the Peoples of Cameroon) to the funeral, while MANIDEM, sidelined by a portion of the family in organizing the mourning, will not be present. For MANIDEM, this is akin to betrayal.
Tchameni, who is serving his sentence in Kondengui prison, expressed his sorrow at the loss of his "fellow fighter," whom he met in political detention in 1990. He recalls fighting with Ekane for 35 years for a better Cameroon and being arrested with him on October 24, 2025. Despite his physical absence from the funeral scheduled for May 9, 2026, Tchameni announced that he would be represented by his wife, Makini Tchameni, and invited the 50 member organizations of the Union for Change to send representatives.
Beyond the official funeral, Djeukam Tchameni announced that the Union for Change (UPC 2025), which he claims to have co-founded with Anicet Ekane, will organize a political funeral in collaboration with MANIDEM to honor the memory and political legacy of the deceased. This is his way of emphasizing that "the ideas that Anicet Ekane defended at the cost of his life will not be buried this weekend."
The death of Anicet Ekane in detention had already sparked strong reactions, with UPC-MANIDEM denouncing the circumstances of his death and demanding that full light be shed on the matter. Ekane was arrested on October 24, 2025, the day after the presidential election, at the same time as Djeukam Tchameni.
