Cameroonian authorities should end their ‘absurd and despicable’ silence, then act to protect local human rights organizations and activists. Douala, Cameroon, July 2, 2013 — At the Access Center of Alternatives-Cameroon, life returns to normal. Gradually. New furniture arrives. New construction is under way. Some employees, though still frightened, go about their business. From time … Continue reading
Author Archives: Eric O. Lembembe
After death threats, burglars strike Cameroon LGBT defender
Anti-gay hooligans continue to harass Michel Togué, one of the few lawyers in Cameroon who accepts LGBT people as clients. Following death threats that he has received by phone and mail in recent months, his offices were burglarized on June 16. The burglars took his laptop, passport, USB memory devices, and a variety of confidential … Continue reading
Cameroon: Two lesbians sentenced to nine months
“The case of Clarisse Z. and Jeanine N., two young lesbians, each 27 years old, is unlike any of the other cases of homosexuality that I have defended until now.” — Michel Togué, Cameroonian lawyer and human rights defender. A defendant isn’t usually the person whose complaint prompts a police investigation, but in the case … Continue reading
Peaceful celebration in Cameroon a year after mob attack
Three associations in Cameroon’s capital city organized a week’s activities to commemorate this year’s International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Unlike last year, the activities were not disrupted by anti-gay violence. La version française: “Yaoundé célèbre IDAHO 2013 avec faste et sérénité” IDAHO 2013 IN CAMEROON Time: around 6 p.m., May 17. Location: The Bastos Roundabout … Continue reading
Gays in Cameroon, beware this blackmailer
Denounced for two years in gay activist groups’ press releases, Albert Edward Ekobo Samba, who passes himself off as a gay man on the Internet, continues to trap gay men with the help of accomplices posing as police. Here’s what some of his latest victims have to say: Ghislain F., a 31-year-old gay man who … Continue reading
Cameroon LGBT groups learning to be businesslike
Governance, paperwork, management techniques, human resources, financial conflicts of interest — those are some of the training modules discussed in workshops held Jan. 22 to 25 for nine representatives of three community-based organizations serving the community of men who have sex with men (MSM). “This training was needed because most of these young associations have … Continue reading
Two gay men freed into ‘living hell’ in Cameroon
After three days in police custody in Cameroon, two gay men were released yesterday, but their daily life remains a nightmare. “I’m upset and depressed. Because of what has happened to us [an attack by a gay-bashing crowd, death threats, police detention], I am more and more stressed. I fear that tomorrow morning our lifeless … Continue reading
