The president of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), Maurice Kamto, has publicly demanded the release of the body of Anicet Ekane, an emblematic figure of the Cameroonian opposition, who died in detention on December 1, 2025. This demand follows Anicet Ekane's arrest on October 24, 2025, during the post-election unrest, and his death in circumstances that the opposition considers suspicious.
Anicet Ekane, president of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), was arrested in Douala before being transferred to Yaoundé and imprisoned at the State Secretariat for Defense (SED). According to the MRC, he was allegedly deprived of the medical assistance necessary for his survival. Three months after his death, the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, and his family has still not been able to recover his remains to organize the funeral.
"We demand that the Cameroonian authorities release the body of Anicet EKANE and return it to his grieving family, in order to shorten the unspeakable suffering of the latter, the relatives of the deceased and all those who knew, loved and appreciated him in the political field or in the social space," said Maurice Kamto in his publication of February 21, 2026.
The MRC denounces a confiscation of the mortal remains that it describes as a barbaric and inhuman practice, worthy of the most obscurantist dictatorships. The party believes that this retention reinforces the feeling of a political assassination, given the known elements surrounding Anicet Ekane's death.
In addition to this request for the return of the body, Maurice Kamto also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners and prisoners of opinion, including those arrested during the post-election crisis of October 2025, among whom are minors.
The situation remains tense in Cameroon, where issues related to human rights and political transparency remain major challenges. The Anicet Ekane affair continues to provoke strong reactions and highlights the challenges facing the opposition in the country.
Anicet Ekane's body has still not been returned to his family.
