Men Of God Take Move Against Rising Homosexuality

By Arrah Nyoh John

With the rising rate of young girls and boys engaging in homosexual acts in the country, some Men Of God are said to be planning a move against the phenomenon.

The organisers, we learnt, are planning on brandishing anti-homosexual placards, distributing flyers, pamphlets and T-shirts with anti-gay slogans.

It would be recalled that in 2020 a march against homosexuality had taken place in Yaounde marking an event which the organisers dubbed "Day Against Homosexuality".

The Bishops of Cameroon had also years ago condemned the ratification of the Maputo Protocol which permits States to legalize homosexuality and abortion in their countries.

Sometime ago, the Catholic Women Association, CWA, in Kumbo Central Sub Division in North West Region had staged a protest march “against homosexuality, abortion and related ills”.

It would be noted that homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon and culprits can be punished with jail terms ranging from six months to five years with a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 francs CFA, according to Section 347 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, despite being illegal, homosexual activities are still on the rise in the country and police and gendarmes have stepped up efforts to clamp down on this.

This is the case with a certain Kengne Francis and his gay partner, Mba Ghislian who were recently caught in the act in a Snack Bar in Bonapriso Douala on last December 20, 2021.

Kengne Francis and his gay partner, Mba Ghislian missed lynching by angered party mates and friends.

The two men who have been suspected of having a homosexual relationship were caught in the bathroom at the Snack Bar caressing their bodies and kissing deep.

The crowd is reported to have given them the beating of the life, cursing them for the abominable act of Homosexuality and lesbianism.

Kengne Francis and his gay partner, Mba Ghislian are reported to have lost consciousness before being taken to the police station for questioning.

We gathered that later through a yet to be explained means, they managed to secure their release with a condition of never to be involved in such matters again.

However, the two were later on spotted together in a suspected Homosexual act and succeeded to flee the wrath of the population that was already mobilizing to lynch both or hand them over to security operatives in Douala.

Since then the whereabouts of Kengne Francis and his gay partner, Mba Ghislian is not known as many believe they may have run away from the long arm of the law to safer waters where they are free to carry out what is considered a taboo and criminal in Cameroon.

Many other alleged homosexuals have been arrested and detained under Section 347 of the Penal Code.

One of these, Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, was arrested by security forces for sending love SMS messages to a male acquaintance and sentenced to three years' imprisonment at the Kondengui Central Prison.

The sentence was protested by international human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the latter of which named him a prisoner of conscience.

Mbede later died in prison. He had not received medical treatment for a month before he died, activists said.

In November 2011, a Cameroonian court convicted two young men, Jonas Kimie and Franky Ndome, who had been arrested for homosexuality outside a nightclub based solely on their appearance and behaviour to five years' imprisonment.

Prominent Cameroonian gay rights activist and journalist, Eric Lembembe, was found murdered in his house in Yaounde.

Lembembe's neck and feet appeared to have been broken and his face, hands, and feet burned with an iron, Human Rights Watch had said.

Some years back yet another case of homosexuality reported were that of Ngah Onana Rophine and Zogo Christophe, a forest technician.

Alleged homosexuals have not only been facing legal prosecution but also rejection from their families who regard it as a taboo.

The offices of a human rights activist, who fights for homosexual rights, Barrister Alice Nkom, was also some time ago ransacked by unknown assailants.

Most homosexuals such as Kengne Francis and his gay partner, Mba Ghislian, believe their lives are constantly in danger as they are continuously being persecuted not only by security operatives but also by the public and holders of customs and tradition.

Rights groups say Cameroon has prosecuted more gay, lesbian and bisexual residents than any other country in sub-Saharan Africa.