After three months of waiting and high tension, the family of Anicet Ekane, the president of MANIDEM who died in detention, was finally able to recover his body on February 23, 2026. This restitution, ordered by the government commissioner near the Military Tribunal of Yaoundé, lifts the restrictions that weighed on the body and allows for imminent funeral arrangements.
"It's a huge relief for us," said a close family member, visibly moved. "We will finally be able to organize a dignified funeral for Anicet." The news was also welcomed with satisfaction by the political comrades and supporters of the Cameroonian opponent, who died on December 1, 2025, in a cell of the State Secretariat for Defense (SED).
The case had sparked a heated controversy in Cameroon and abroad. Anicet Ekane was arrested on October 24, 2025, in the context of the post-election unrest that followed the presidential election on October 12. His death in detention, as well as the retention of his body by the authorities, had provoked outrage from his family, his lawyers, and several human rights organizations. They denounced inhumane detention conditions and demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances of his death.
According to the official statement, Anicet Ekane's widow, Jeanne Edwige Sogue, is now responsible for the body and will have to bear the conservation costs from February 23 until the burial. The family will now have to focus on organizing the funeral, the program of which has not yet been revealed.
The lifting of restrictions on Anicet Ekane's body marks a turning point in this case. It remains to be seen whether light will be shed on the exact circumstances of his death, as his relatives and supporters still demand. The burial of Anicet Ekane is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
