Alimamy Sesay, a young Sierra Leonean man, fled the country on April 29, 2020, after his same-sex relationship was discovered, highlighting the dangers faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Sierra Leone, where homosexuality remains illegal.
According to a neighbor who requested anonymity and is privy to Almamy Sesay story, he comes from a Muslim family with no prior history of homosexuality. His first same-sex relationship began while attending Bo School, a boys’ boarding school in southern Sierra Leone, where Mohamed Kamara, a senior student, introduced him to same-sex relationships. The neighbor said Almamy Sesay initially had no knowledge of such relationships but eventually accepted mohamed Kamara proposal to enter a secret relationship.
After completing one academic year at Bo School, Almamy Sesay returned to Freetown to continue his education, where he later formed a second secret relationship with a childhood acquaintance, Saidu Conteh. The neighbor said both relationships were concealed due to the legal and social risks in Sierra Leone, where discovery could lead to violence or severe social repercussions.
The secrecy collapsed when Almamy Sesay relationship with saidu Conteh was discovered by a family member in a shared apartment in Freetown. The neighbor recounted that the incident triggered a violent confrontation, during which Almamy Sesay fled the home. Reports indicate that Conteh did not survive the incident.
Fearing for his life, Almamy Sesay sought temporary shelter in the Waterloo community on the outskirts of Freetown before eventually fleeing to Conakry, Guinea, where he later connected with informal networks providing support and information for vulnerable individuals.
Homosexuality is criminalised in Sierra Leone under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, which provides for life imprisonment for offences categorised as “unnatural offences,” including same-sex sexual activity. While prosecutions are uncommon, the existence of the law reflects widespread societal disapproval and contributes to a climate of fear. Religious norms further reinforce stigma. Sierra Leone’s majority Muslim and Christian populations generally view same-sex sexual acts as immoral. In many Islamic communities, such acts are considered sinful under Sharia principles, and public expression or perceived practice of same-sex relationships can result in social ostracism, communal pressure, or violence.
The neighbor said Almamy Sesay experience underscores the extreme risks faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Sierra Leone, where criminalisation, religious norms, and cultural stigma can drive individuals into exile. Human rights advocates note that those affected are often more vulnerable to social reprisals than to formal legal action.
“This is a clear example of how criminalisation and social stigma can force individuals into exile simply to survive,” the neighbor said.
