Cameroon: Lynch mob attacks two gay men having sex in a car

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

Police rescued the pair, but the safety of a jail cell didn’t last.

Market in the Ekounou section of Yaoundé, Cameroon. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia)

By Steeves Winner

On Sept. 22, two men made the fatal mistake of engaging in sexual intercourse in a car that was visible to the public.

The incident in the Ekounou neighborhood of Yaoundé began shortly before nightfall in a festive setting of a snack bar where the two men, each about 40, went to have a drink and enjoy the evening.

Shortly after sunset, the pair decided to withdraw into a vehicle belonging to one of them that was parked near the road.

Other people present at the scene believed that the two friends were going to take a package from the vehicle or simply wanted to discuss a matter in private

But soon people all around noticed the vehicle shaking, which attracted the attention of curious onlookers who walked over to the car to get a closer look. Inside, they saw the two men in the midst of intense sexual intercourse.

A lynch mob gathered around the car, pulled the two men out and threatened to kill them. Police intervened.

The lovers were taken to the police station, but for some reason they were released quickly. It’s possible that they paid police a bribe, which is a frequent method of regaining freedom in Cameroon.

Soon after their arrest, the two men were seen again by the crowd near the snack bar. Outraged, the crowd again attacked the men. They stripped off their clothing and beat them to death.

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Their deaths were confirmed by shocking videos, which human rights defenders verified as accurate.

LGBTI defenders condemned the lynch mob’s aggression that cost the lives of the two men.

But they also urged members of the LGBTI community to be modest and behave responsibly in order to avoid such incidents.

Roger H, a member of the LGBTI community, said, “We are a neglected and vulnerable community. We must be responsible and have decent behavior within society.” He added, “However, this should not lead to assassinations.”