Douala: Police launch manhunt for snack bar owner linked to homosexual allegations.

The bar, though widely known for its vibrant atmosphere, had come under public scrutiny over growing allegations that it served as a meeting point for members of the LGBT community, a group whose activities remain criminalised under Cameroonian law.

It is also worth mentioning that the 41-year-old is rumoured to be bisexual, which is why her snack bar has gained widespread prominence in that domain. 

According to police reports, a violent altercation erupted at the bar on March 15, 2025, leading to the arrest of Djoudoua and her husband. While details of the incident remain unclear, sources close to the investigation suggest that the arrest may have been linked to longstanding suspicions that Chez Julie was a safe haven for individuals identifying with the LGBT community.

Djoudoua was being held in custody pending further investigation, but reportedly escaped on March 31st, 2025, under unclear circumstances. Her whereabouts remain unknown, prompting law enforcement to intensify efforts to locate and apprehend her. The police have not disclosed the exact circumstances of her escape but confirmed that a nationwide alert has been issued. 

Djoudoua, who got married on Valentine’s Day in 2010, is said to have relied on the bar as the primary source of livelihood for her family. The incident has fuelled discussions on social media and in local circles, with some expressing concern over the use of criminal justice to target individuals accused of supporting or associating with marginalised groups.

However, authorities continue to urge the public to provide any information that could lead to the arrest of Djoudoua as her husband remains in detention. The case remains under active investigation.

It should 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 FCFA, 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.

Homosexuals, alleged associates prosecuted, persecuted 

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

This was the case in May 2005 when 11 men were arrested at a nightclub in Yaounde on suspicion of sodomy, and the government threatened to conduct medical examinations to "prove" their homosexual activity.

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, rights activists had 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. In July 2013 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 electric iron, Human Rights Watch had said. 

Transgenders jailed in Douala

Meanwhile, in May 2021, a court in Douala had jailed two transgenders to five years in prison and fines of 200,000 FCFA. The men, Njeuken Loic (known as “Shakiro”) and Mouthe Roland (known as “Patricia”), had been arrested and experienced abuse during pre-trial detention. 

Gendarmes had arrested Shakiro and Patricia on the streets of Douala on February 8, 2021, for wearing typically female clothing. They were interrogated without a lawyer present, beaten and threatened to be killed, taunted with anti-LGBT epithets, and forced to sign statements, according to activists and lawyers who visited them in detention. 

Shakiro and Patricia were later taken to the overcrowded Douala central prison where they reported being beaten and insulted by guards and other inmates. Prosecutors charged them with attempted homosexual conduct, public indecency, and non-possession of their national identity cards.

Alice Nkom, a lawyer representing Shakiro and Patricia, said, “It’s a political sentence sending a clear, chilling message: ‘We don’t want LGBT people here in Cameroon.’ We ought to fight this and we will”.

Most homosexuals in Cameroon believe their lives are constantly in danger as they are continuously being persecuted not only by security operatives but also by the public.