President Paul Biya, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, has been vocal against gay rights, intensifying the impact of his daughter's public display.
A check by PREMIUM TIMES shows that comments on the post have been disabled, suggesting a preemptive measure against possible critical comments or Acknowledging her father's long-standing policies criminalising homosexuality and same-sex activities during his four decades in power, the president's daughter expressed optimism for future change in Cameroon.
According to the Human Dignity Trust of the country's profile, Cameroon's first Penal Code in 1965 did not criminalise same-sex sexual activity. However, an amendment introduced in 1972 added the offence of 'homosexuality', which has been retained till now.Authorities in Cameroon enforce this law harshly. Police often arrest individuals suspected of being LGBTQ+ based on minimal evidence or accusations from neighbours.
Despite this call, the National Communication Council actively censors media content that depicts or supports LGBTQ+ issues. According to BBC News, she described the president's daughter's post as"a potential turning point for LGBTQ+ visibility in the country."The National Communication Council of Cameroon is known to have taken steps to censor media content depicting homosexuality and has suspended channels that violate this policy.