In Cameroon, suspicion of lesbianism has led to the arrest of ten women.
These women are being held in Ambam, approximately 190 miles south of Yaounde, the capital, until their trial commences.
In this West African country, consensual same-sex relations are deemed criminal, carrying penalties ranging from six months to five years in prison, alongside fines.
According to Alice Nkom, a defender of gay rights and founder of the Association for the Defence of Homosexuals, detainees in Cameroon often face torture in police custody aimed at extracting confessions.
Meanwhile, Liberia, another African nation, is poised to deliberate on a proposal to enhance its existing anti-gay legislation.
A bill presented by former first lady Senator Jewel Taylor last week seeks to ban same-sex marriage and classify homosexuality as a first-degree felony, punishable by up to ten years of incarceration.
‘We are merely fortifying the existing law. Some media outlets claim I suggested that anyone guilty of same-sex involvement should face the death penalty,’ she stated.
‘That was not my statement. I am advocating for legislation that will categorize it as a first-degree felony,’ she clarified.
Currently, gay relationships are treated as a first-degree misdemeanor under the law, which could result in up to a year of imprisonment.
‘We are examining it thoroughly’ and plan to present it to the entire Senate ‘at our next session on Thursday,’ announced Senator Joseph Nagbe, chair of the Judicial Committee.
If approved by the Senate, the revised bill would then be forwarded to the House and subsequently to the president.
P resident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, a recent Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has stated she opposes signing any such legislative measure into law.
‘Liberia is part of the global community and cannot disregard the rights of others to make their own choices,’ asserted Archie Ponpon, the chairman of the newly established Movement for the Defence of Gays and Lesbians in Liberia.
Due to his advocacy for gay rights, Mr. Ponpon and his family have already encountered hostility.
A few weeks ago, his mother’s residence was set ablaze, and Ponpon, along with another activist Abraham Kamara, faced mob hostility from enraged students during a campaign at the University of Liberia.
‘We will not back down,’ he emphasized. ‘People will recognize that, in this modern age, individuals ought to be free to live as they wish.’
A rising wave of homophobia has swept across Africa over the past few years, where homosexuality remains illegal in numerous nations.
‘The situation is deteriorating,’ remarked Ms. Nkom, a gay rights defender in Cameroon.
‘Individuals accused of homosexuality are promptly incarcerated,’ she informed reporters in November, following the sentencing of three men to five years each for homosexual acts.
Earlier this month, Uganda reintroduced a bill mandating the death penalty for homosexuals identified as ‘repeat offenders.’
U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the proposed legislation as ‘odious,’ while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject it, with some international donors threatening to withdraw aid if the bill were enacted.
by Vandas Voice
