Maurice Kamto, a leading figure in the Cameroonian opposition and president of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), has recently shared his vision of state sovereignty, emphasizing the protection of citizens as a central pillar. In a publication dated February 23, 2026, he insists that sovereignty should not be reduced to the right of a leader to dispose of the lives of his fellow citizens.
"But if sovereignty is understood as the power of a leader to sovereignly kill his fellow citizens, whom he has a duty to protect, to lead in an enlightened manner and to bring to prosperity, then its quest would not be worth it," he declared on his X account (formerly Twitter). For Kamto, such a conception of sovereignty would be a "misfortune" for the people.
This stance comes in a particular context, marked by the death in detention of Anicet Ekane, president of MANIDEM, in December 2025. Ekane's body has still not been returned to his family, sparking outrage and calls for its restitution. Kamto himself has demanded that the state return Anicet Ekane's remains to his family to allow for the organization of his funeral.
The death of Anicet Ekane at the State Secretariat for Defense (SED) and the non-restitution of his body have created strong tension. Maurice Kamto has denounced "barbaric and inhumane practices worthy of the most obscurantist dictatorships". He believes that the retention of the body of a political opponent, in a context where the circumstances of his death remain unclear, fuels the feeling of a political assassination.
Kamto also stressed the need for African economic communities to transform themselves into regional federal states to meet the challenges of the 21st century. He warned that inaction in the face of this necessity would constitute a "strategic blindness" and a "crime by leaders against the African people".
