Cameroon's main opposition leader has died after a prolonged illness. John Fru Ndi, 81, died on Monday night in the capital Yaoundé, the party he founded in 1990, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), said.
"It is with sadness that we announce the transition into eternal glory of John Fru Ndi on June 12, 2023, at 11:30 p.m ," it said.
The veteran politician first contested for the presidency in 1992 against incumbent President Paul Biya and the pair have since dominated Cameroon's political scene.
Biya is now serving his seventh term in office after winning presidential elections in 2018. Fru Ndi was not on the ballot having stepped aside to make way for 49-year-old candidate Joshua Osih.
Fru Ndi was kidnapped twice in 2019 by gunmen after his party refused to endorse secession by English-speaking western regions.
