Outcry as LGBTQ+ Activists Arrested in Cameroon

The arrest and detention of 13 individuals, including LGBTQ+ activists and members of the public, by the authorities in Cameroon has ignited international concern.

The arrests, which occurred at the offices of Alternatives-Cameroun, a prominent LGBTQ+ health and human rights organisation, have shone a spotlight on the ongoing persecution of sexual and gender minorities in the country.

On the afternoon of Monday, September 30, the Public Prosecutor, accompanied by police officers and agents reportedly bearing Interpol badges, stormed the Douala offices of Alternatives-Cameroun.

The staff of the organisation, which advocates for the health and human rights of the LGBTIQ+ population, was in the midst of a meeting focused on wrapping up the CHILL project, an HIV public health initiative.

According to an Alternatives-Cameroun statement, law enforcement officers confiscated the phones of everyone present, carried out personal searches, and subjected the group to interrogations.

The questions revolved around the organisation’s work with marginalised communities, including LGBTIQ+ people, sex workers, and individuals who use drugs. By the end of the day, 13 people were arrested and taken into custody.

Among those detained were Alternatives-Cameroun’s President, Lucien Ewane, the manager of the organisation’s Drop-in Centre, a psychological advisor, two peer educators, and three beneficiaries, between the ages of 17 and 21. Five staff members from another non-governmental organisation that were attending the meeting were also arrested.

Troubling Charges

The charges levelled against the detainees are alarming. According to Alternatives-Cameroun’s legal representation, they include accusations of human trafficking, unlicensed medical practice, and homosexuality — the latter a charge rooted in Cameroon’s criminalisation of same-sex relationships.

Under the country’s Penal Code, consensual same-sex relations can result in prison sentences of up to five years, a law that continues to stigmatise and marginalise the LGBTIQ+ community.

As of Tuesday afternoon, all 13 individuals remained in custody at the Douala Judicial Police, with Alternatives-Cameroun working to prove their legal standing and demonstrate that their public health services, which are endorsed by the Ministry of Public Health, are both lawful and necessary.

Alternatives-Cameroun, together with their supporters, is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees. The organisation insists that the charges are unfounded and that the raid is an attempt to further suppress LGBTIQ+ advocacy in Cameroon.

Their work, which includes providing vital HIV prevention and treatment services to marginalised groups, is being jeopardised by what appears to be an orchestrated attack on human rights defenders.

Growing Global Attention

The arrest of Alternatives-Cameroun’s members is not an isolated case but part of a broader climate of hostility towards the LGBTIQ+ community.

This crackdown comes just months after Brenda Biya, the daughter of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, made international headlines by publicly revealing her relationship with another woman.

In a rare moment of high-profile advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights in Cameroon, Brenda condemned the criminalisation of same-sex relationships as unjust and called for an end to the imprisonment of LGBTQ+ individuals in the country.