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In Cameroon, the lives of human rights defenders are at risk.
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A mob attack on a LGBTQ+ rights defender in Yaoundé, Cameroon, during the night of June 13-14 demonstrates the continuing risks of working on behalf of the nation’s stigmatized citizens.
The victim, identified here as Patrick, is currently in hiding, hoping for emergency relief from his organization’s international financial partners.
Concerned for his safety, he has not allowed either his name or the name of his organization to be used in this article. The organization, a member of the 34-member Unity Platform coalition of LGBTQ rights groups, is well-known among Cameroonian activists.
Patrick was assaulted at by an individual he had encountered a few weeks earlier when local youths caught him in a compromising position with another man.
The assault quickly escalated into a mob attack. Alerted by Patrick’s shouts, some neighbors rushed over and accused him of immorality. They called for him to be “corrected.”
To escape his attackers, Patrick fled from his home and took shelter at the offices of his organization. He is afraid to return home, even though a compassionate neighbor locked the door for him and gave him back the key,
“I know I won’t get out alive if I set foot in that neighborhood again”, Patrick said.
A few days after the attack, his landlord informed Patrick that she would not renew his lease and that he would have to vacate the premises by August
Patrick is seeking funds to allow him to find a new home. But so far the organization’s financial backers have sent Patrick only messages of support and encouragement, not money.
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His situation illustrates the reality faced by many human rights defenders in Cameroon:
Targeted attacks,
Community threats,
Forced evictions,
Lack of protection mechanisms and
Extreme housing insecurity.
In a country where homosexuality remains criminalized, such human rights defenders are exposed to disproportionate risks. For example, many activists still remember the brutal slaying of activist/journalist Eric Ohena Lembembe in 2013. Lembembe wrote for Erasing 76 Crimes.
Human right defenders in Cameroon say that Patrick make several wise moves after the attack:
Immediate safety measures: leaving his home and taking refuge at the office.
Documentation of the attack: description of the events, threats, and risks.
Internal reporting: alerting his organization and partners.
Seeking institutional support: requesting assistance with secure rehousing.
“I no longer have a home, no security, no stability. Relocation is vital for my survival”, Patrick said.
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