A teenager fled Sierra Leone after his secret same sex relationship was discovered by a family member, according to an eyewitness account.
Alimamy Sesay had developed a close relationship with Mohamed Kamara while the two were students at Bo School. They kept their relationship private because of the stigma and potential consequences associated with same sex relationships in Sierra Leone.
Sesay, who comes from a Muslim family, feared that being identified as gay could lead to rejection by relatives, isolation from his community and possible violence, according to the account.
Those fears intensified on 25 April 2024, when Sesay and Kamara were together in his room on Kamara’s birthday.
According to the eyewitness, Sesay’s elder brother unexpectedly opened the door and discovered the two teenagers together.
The brother began shouting for neighbours, raising fears that the incident would become known within the community.
The eyewitness said Sesay then picked up a wooden bench and struck his brother before climbing through a window and fleeing the house. Kamara also left with him.
The incident left Sesay concerned that his relationship would be exposed more widely and that he could face retaliation or violence from members of his family and community, according to the eyewitness.
His concerns were also shaped by Sierra Leone’s wider social and legal environment.
Same sex sexual activity between men remains prohibited under Section 61 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Prosecutions under the law are uncommon, but LGBT people in Sierra Leone continue to face social stigma and discrimination.
For Sesay, the prospect of being identified as gay carried particular concerns because of his family and religious background, according to the eyewitness.
The exposure of the relationship, the account says, left him fearing rejection by relatives and condemnation within his wider community.
Sesay subsequently left Sierra Leone, according to the eyewitness.
His exact destination and current whereabouts are not known.
The circumstances surrounding his departure have also contributed to fears about returning to Sierra Leone. According to the eyewitness, Sesay believes that returning could expose him again to the same family and community pressures that led him to leave.
The account highlights the difficulties that LGBT people can face in Sierra Leone beyond the formal application of the law.
Human rights organisations have previously raised concerns about stigma, discrimination and violence against LGBT people in the country.
For Sesay, the decision to leave was linked directly to the discovery of his relationship and his fear of what could follow, according to the eyewitness.
He remains outside Sierra Leone, with his current whereabouts unconfirmed.
