LGBTI+ rights defender in the Congo: I’m threatened with death
Jeremie Safari, an LGBTI+ rights activist in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is besieged and confined to a house in Bukavu (South Kivu). He’s been assaulted, harassed, threatened with cremation and pursued by an inquisitive prosecutor. He believes his life is in danger from people trying to shut down Rainbow Sunrise Mapamtbazuko. the LGBTI advocacy organization where he is the executive director.
Defenders of human rights in Southern Africa have expressed their support for Safari and Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko. The Erasing 76 Crimes news site is seeking updates from them.
Meanwhile, we interviewed Safari by phone on 18 March 18:
Can you talk to us about the legal situation of LGBTI+ people in the DRC?
There is no homophobic law in the DRC. Nevertheless, the people who are in charge of the functioning of the institutions are: police officers attached to the judicial police, magistrates, judges… Thus, the interpretation of article 176 of the Penal Code, which relates to the offense of morality, is used to condemn LGBTI+ people instead of condemning offenses against modesty for example. Here people are condemned purely and simply on the basis of private and personal religious beliefs or local customs.
What is the specific situation in South Kivu?
South Kivu is a region that has been plagued by armed conflict since 1996. Even today, fighting continues between Interahamwe militias and government forces. The Interahamwe fled Rwanda in 1994 after participating in the genocide against the Tutsis. Now they are involved in the illegal exploitation of minerals in South Kivu (gold, cobalt, copper, diamonds). Among the protagonists of this conflict are also the Banyamulenge, another group of rebels of Rwandan origin. Conflicts between armed groups of Rwandan origin and the local population are recurrent. The Rwandans are regularly accused by indigenous communities of looting, extortion and theft of livestock and land, We have been in an infernal cycle of violence and reprisals for almost thirty years with no end in sight.
What about LGBTI people in South Kivu?
The region has become infamous internationally because rape and sexual violence are used by soldiers as weapons of war against the civilian population. Moreover, the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to gynecologist Denis Mukwege came to illustrate this. Regarding LGBTI+ people, lesbian women are also affected by the phenomenon of corrective rape. In addition, they are anathematized as being responsible for COVID-19, economic disorders and the backwardness of the region’s development. In the churches, LGBTI+ people are even associated with the figure of the antichrist.
What about your history as an activist in South Kivu?
For the past ten years, I have been an activist. In 2013, I was first arrested because I was talking about sexual and gender diversity on the radio. This landed me in jail where I was tortured and raped during my three days in jail. After being released, I had to seek medical treatment in Kigali, Rwanda, where I also received psychological assistance. When I returned to South Kivu, I was no
longer welcome in my family home. Since that time, I often feel depressed and sometimes have suicidal thoughts. However, as a human rights defender, I fight a lot for the advancement of the rights of my fellow human beings, despite the harassment and telephone intimidation.
What is your situation today?
Until a few days ago, I was living in the Labotte neighborhood in Bukavu. I had been there for two years and my presence in this neighborhood was not easy. Threats against me were continual. However, despite the insistence of some local women, the owners did not want me to leave. Things started to change a few days ago, when I was the subject of a warrant to appear before the local prosecutor. The subject of this missive is my homosexuality and my supposed desire to pervert youth. In any case, at the same time that the judicial police were rushing to my doorstep, a gathering of a hateful and excited mob was breaking out on the public highway, in my street, ready to fight with me. On the advice of my lawyer, I left the neighborhood to sought refuge a little further away at a friend’s house, while also bribing the police to leave me alone. As I speak, last night, my friend’s house was surrounded by a gang of young people who wanted to kill me.
You can support Jérémie Safari by making a donation to Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko at the following link: https://www.rainbowsunrisemapambazuko.org/donate
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