Célestin Bedzigui, leader of the Parti pour l'alliance libérale (PAL), disputes the findings of the investigation into the death of Anicet Ekane, a Cameroonian opposition figure who died in custody. While the Ministry of Defense asserts that Ekane died of natural causes, Bedzigui, in a statement published on February 25, maintains that he died a martyr.
Anicet Ekane, 74, was arrested on October 24 in Douala, accused of instigating unrest following the disputed presidential election that saw Paul Biya win an eighth term. His arrest and detention raised concerns about his health, particularly due to pre-existing respiratory problems. Human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, called for an impartial investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Bedzigui denounces the inhumanity of the political repression system in Cameroon, emphasizing that keeping a sick person in detention is tantamount to killing them. He believes that the colonel in charge of the detention facility and the attending physicians should have alerted the political authorities to the inappropriateness of keeping Ekane in prison, given his state of health. He points to a "culpable zeal" that engages the personal responsibility of the individuals involved and that of the State.
"They will speak without knowing…," Bedzigui writes, referring to his 35 years of companionship with Ekane in dissent and their shared aspiration for change through institutional channels. He salutes Ekane's struggle and wishes him to finally find rest.
The Ministry of Defense stated that an autopsy had been performed and that it had been supplemented by additional examinations carried out in Switzerland. The results concluded that the death was natural due to serious health problems. Ekane's body was returned to his family on February 23. The case continues to generate passionate reactions within the Cameroonian political scene and civil society.
