BY HELLEN MOJOKO
Security forces in Douala have launched a large-scale manhunt for 41-year-old businesswoman, Djoudoua Julienne, following her escape from police custody earlier this year.
The suspect, Djoudoua Julienne, born on February 5, 1984, in Douala, is the co-owner of the popular snack bar, Chez Julie, situated in the Bilongue neighbourhood of Cameroon’s economic capital. She had reportedly operated the establishment alongside her husband since it opened in December 2018.
The snack bar, known locally for its lively social atmosphere, had increasingly drawn public attention amid allegations that it functioned as a gathering spot for members of the LGBT community. Same-sex relations remain criminalised under Cameroonian law.
According to police sources, tensions escalated on March 15, 2025, when a violent altercation reportedly broke out at the establishment. The incident led to the arrest of Djoudoua Julienne and her husband.
Although authorities have not publicly disclosed full details surrounding the confrontation, individuals familiar with the investigation indicated that the arrests may have been connected to longstanding suspicions that Chez Julie served as a safe meeting place for people identifying with the LGBT community.
Djoudoua Julienne was subsequently placed in custody while investigations continued. However, on April 2, 2025, she reportedly escaped detention under circumstances that authorities have yet to clarify.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that her whereabouts remains unknown and that a nationwide alert has been issued in an effort to locate and re-arrest her. Her husband reportedly remains in detention as investigations continue.
Julienne, who married on Valentine’s Day in 2010, is said to have depended heavily on the bar as the primary source of income for her family.
The case has generated significant debate both online and within local communities. While some residents have called for strict enforcement of the law, others have raised concerns about the use of the criminal justice system against individuals accused of associating with marginalised groups.
Authorities continue to urge members of the public to provide information that could assist in locating the fugitive businesswoman.
Cameroon’s record on LGBT-related arrests
It should be noted that Djoudoua Julienne’s case comes amid a broader history of arrests and prosecutions linked to homosexuality under Section 347 of Cameroon’s Penal Code.
One of the country’s most widely publicised cases involved Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, who was arrested after allegedly sending romantic text messages to another man. He was later sentenced to three years imprisonment at Kondengui Central Prison in Yaounde.
The conviction drew widespread condemnation from international human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Amnesty International declared Mbede a prisoner of conscience.
Rights groups also reported that Mbede died after allegedly going without medical treatment for a month while in detention.
Convictions based on appearance and behaviour
In November 2011, a Cameroonian court sentenced two young men, Jonas Kimie and Franky Ndome, to five years imprisonment after they were arrested outside a nightclub on allegations of homosexuality. Reports indicated that the conviction was based largely on their appearance and behaviour.
Concerns over the treatment and safety of LGBT persons in Cameroon intensified further in July 2013 following the killing of prominent journalist and gay rights activist, Eric Lembembe, in Yaounde.
According to Human Rights Watch, Lembembe was found dead in his home with signs of extreme violence. Reports stated that his neck and feet appeared broken, while his face, hands, and feet allegedly showed burns believed to have been inflicted with an electric iron.
In another widely reported case, a court in Douala sentenced two transgender individuals to five years imprisonment in May 2021 and imposed fines of 200,000 FCFA each.
The pair, Njeuken Loic, popularly known as “Shakiro,” and Mouthe Roland, known as “Patricia” had been arrested on February 8, 2021, after gendarmes reportedly found them wearing clothing considered traditionally female.
According to activists and lawyers who later visited them in detention, the two were interrogated without legal representation, beaten, threatened with death, insulted using anti-LGBT slurs, and forced to sign statements.
Following their arrest, Shakiro and Patricia were transferred to the overcrowded Douala Central Prison, where they allegedly suffered further abuse from both prison guards and inmates.
Prosecutors charged them with attempted homosexual conduct, public indecency, and failure to carry national identity cards. Alice Nkom, the lawyer representing the two defendants, strongly criticised the ruling at the time.