Now Reading
Armed men threaten Cameroon activist at home. The result: He’s evicted

Armed men threaten Cameroon activist at home. The result: He’s evicted

On Tuesday, three homophobic knife-wielding men tried to force their way into the apartment of Gaspar, a Cameroonian advocate for LGBTI people. As a result of the attack, Gaspar’s landlord evicted him, declaring that he would not rent to homosexuals.

Map of Cameroon shows Ebolowa about 100 miles south of the Yaoundé, the capital. (Map courtesy of Rand McNally)
Map of Cameroon shows Yaoundé, the capital, in the southern part of the country. (Map courtesy of Rand McNally)

By Courtney Stans

Gaspar (a pseudonym needed for his safety) works at the health and human rights organization Alternatives-Cameroun in Yaoundé.

The incident occurred around 11 p.m. Aug. 17 after Gaspar returned home from a day of work at Alternatives-Cameroun, where he is the manager of the drop-in center.

Logo of Alternatives-Cameroon
Logo of Alternatives-Cameroun

Lying on his bed, he heard noises at the front door. Going to the window, he looked out and saw three men armed with knives and tools trying to break down his door. Gaspar called out for help, but none of his neighbors responded.

The attackers shouted up at him, “You dirty queer, we’ll show you!” “You’ll get what you deserve in this neighborhood!” “You don’t belong here! You’ll pay with your life!”

The three men failed to break into Gaspar’s apartment so, after a while, they left.

Gaspar immediately walked to his landlord’s house to inform him of what had happened.

The landlord grew angry with him, saying, “My house is not a refuge for homosexuals. You have to move out right away, or else!”

Gaspar was shocked.

See Also

The next day he filed a complaint with police. So far, they have done nothing to help him.

After the incident, his neighbors stopped speaking to him. His landlord cut off his apartment’s water, cable TV and electricity.

Gaspar is trying to figure out where he can live peacefully and how to pay to relocate.


Courtney Stans, the author of this article, is a Cameroonian journalist who writes under a pseudonym. Contact her at info@76crimes.com.

View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

© 2022 ERASING 76CRIMES
Scroll To Top

Discover more from Erasing 76 Crimes

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading