Alice Nkom

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Alice Nkom
Barrister-Alice-Nkom.jpg
Alice Nkom (2010)
Born (1945-01-14) January 14, 1945 (age 80)
Poutkak, Cameroon
NationalityCameroonian
Occupationlawyer
Known forLGBT advocacy, first black female French-speaking lawyer in Cameroon

Alice Nkom (born January 14, 1945) is a Cameroonian lawyer, politician, and human rights activist known for her advocacy in defending the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in Cameroon. She is the first woman in Central Africa to become a lawyer and is noted for her efforts in advocating for the decriminalization of homosexuality in the region. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Nkom studied law in Toulouse, France, and has practiced law in Douala, Cameroon, [4] since 1969. At the age of 24, she became the first Black French-speaking woman admitted to the bar in Cameroon. [5] She currently serves as the president of the Central African Human Rights Defenders Network (French : Réseau des défenseurs des droits humains en Afrique centrale, Redhac). [6]

In recognition of her work, particularly during an "anti-gay crackdown," she was ranked second on The New Yorker 's list of "The Eight Most Fascinating Africans of 2012." [7]

Early life and education

Alice Nkom was born in Poutkak, Cameroon, where she spent her early years. [8] She pursued a legal education at the University of Toulouse, France, and became a licensed attorney at 24, as the first woman lawyer in Cameroon. [9]

Career

Nkom began her legal career in the 1960s and became known for advocating for marginalized communities. In 2003, she established the Association for the Defense of Homosexuality (ADEFHO), an organization that provides legal and social support to LGBTQ+ individuals in Cameroon, where same-sex relationships are criminalized. [10]

Nkom has represented numerous clients prosecuted under Section 347 bis of the Cameroonian Penal Code, which imposes penalties of up to five years in prison for same-sex relationships. Her work has garnered international attention and support, while also exposing her to challenges such as death threats and efforts to revoke her legal license.

Nkom's most famous case was in 2005 when she defended a group of men who were arrested during a raid of a gay bar in the Cameroon capital city. The men were in prison for a year however in 2006 the UN's working group on Arbitrary Detention reviewed the case and criticized Cameroon for arresting the men because of their sexuality. As well the UN labeled the anti-sexuality offenses in Cameroon's Penal Code as a violation of the international human rights laws. [11]

In January 2011, she was threatened with arrest by a representative of Cameroon's Ministry of Communication after ADEFHO was awarded a €300,000 grant by the European Union. [12] Later that year, she represented Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, a man imprisoned for three years for "homosexuality and attempted homosexuality" following a series of SMS messages to a male acquaintance, [12] and who was named a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. [13]

In 2006 and 2013, she was a keynote speaker at the Human Rights conferences that took place in conjunction with the OutGames, in Montréal, Canada and Antwerp, Belgium, respectively. [14] In March 2014, Alice Nkom was awarded with the "7. Menschenrechtspreis" (7th Human Rights Award) by the German section of Amnesty International. [15]

In March 2020, Paul Atanga Nji, the Minister of Territorial Administration accused Redhac under Nkom's leadership of being engaged in a "conspiracy" against Cameroon and security services. [16] On 6 December 2024, the Minister banned Redhac alongside several other civil rights organisations, citing concerns with its use of funding. [6] On 10 December, Nkom was summoned to a police interview in Wouri after breaking the seal placed on the doors of Redhac's offices in Douala. Nkom did not attend this or subsequent summons, requesting a postponement until January 2025 to guarantee she would be able to have a lawyer present. On 18 December at a military court hearing, Nkom was accused of raising funds to support armed groups in English-speaking regions of Cameroon, and on 31 December she was summoned to an interview with the national gendarmerie's central judicial investigation department. [6]

Nkom has featured in several documentaries about her efforts to defend LGBT people in Cameroon, including Coming out of the Nkuta (2009) [17] and Until it Shines (2022). [18]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Duparc, Agathe (2010-03-22). "Au Cameroun, une avocate dénonce la répression de l'homosexualité". Le Monde (in French).
  2. ↑ Flick (2011-01-19). "Campaña de hostigamiento contra Alice Nkom, luchadora a favor de los derechos de gays y lesbianas en Camerún". Dos Manzanas (in Spanish).
  3. ↑ "Cameroon Human Rights – Alice Nkom to be arrested". Cameroon Today. January 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  4. ↑ BIO Speakers Human Rights Conference Antwerp, 2013
  5. ↑ "Présidents d'honneur et porte-paroles | Fierté Montréal Pride". Archived from the original on 2011-10-24. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  6. 1 2 3 "Cameroon: Authorities must stop harassment of human rights defender Alice Nkom and attacks on civil society organizations". Amnesty International . 2025-01-09. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  7. ↑ Okeowo, Alexis (2012-12-07). "The Eight Most Fascinating Africans of 2012". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  8. ↑ "Pioneer African Women in Law". African Women in Law. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  9. ↑ "Alice Nkom: 'Corruption endemic is tied to fight for rights'". IFLR. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  10. ↑ "Alice Nkom: 'It is up to us Africans to have leaders capable of speaking as equals with France, China and Russia'". 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  11. ↑ Anders, Tisa (2012-07-27). "Alice Nkom (1945- )" . Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  12. 1 2 Andrew Harmon (28 November 2011). "A Lone Activist Crusades for Change in Cameroon". The Advocate . Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "Prisoner of Conscience, Imprisoned for Homosexuality". Amnesty International. 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  14. ↑ BIO Speakers at the Human Rights Conference in Antwerp, 2013
  15. ↑ "7. Menschenrechtspreis (in German)". Amnesty International. 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  16. ↑ Ntap, Emmanuel Jules (2020-03-12). "Crise anglophone: l'Etat camerounais se dit victime d'un "complot"". Voice of America (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-12-26. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  17. ↑ "Coming Out in Cameroon". africasacountry.com. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  18. ↑ "A SPACE FOR US - UNTIL IT SHINES: ALICE NKOM DEFENDING LGBT RIGHTS IN CAMEROON". www.forus-international.org. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
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