Born on January 14 1945 Alice Nkom is a lawyer in Cameroon. In fact, she was the first woman in Central Africa to become a lawyer. She is also a gay rights activist in a country that actively pursues, prosecutes, and commits violent acts against people in the LGBTQIA+ community.

While born in Poutkak, Cameroon, she studied at the University of Toulouse in France where she obtained her degree and licensing to become an attorney at the age of 24. She then returned to Cameroon and began practicing law. A career that spans almost 60 years by now, and which is filled with death threats, hate speech, legal threats, and currently, finds her in the midst of a legal battle herself.

In 2003 Alice Nkom established ADEFHO (Association for the Defense of Homosexuality). Through this organization she provides legal and social support to LGBTQIA+ individuals in Cameroon who are being pursued under laws that criminalize same-sex relationships. Alice Nkom has also represented countless Cameroonians who have been arrested on these grounds.

Her most famous case, was defending a group of men in 2005 who were arrested during a raid on a gay bar. This case eventually caught the attention of the UN who proceeded to label these laws as being in violation of international human rights laws. While Alice Nkom continues to fight for our rights, she has been facing both death threats, and legal threats for years, and is currently in the midst of her own legal troubles due to this.

In January of 2011 Alice Nkom was threatened with arrest by Cameroon’s Ministry of Communication after securing a €300 000 grant from the European Union for ADEFHO. Alice Nkom still went on to represent Juan-Claude Roger Mdebe later that same year. Mdebe was imprisoned for 3 years on charges of homosexuality and attempted homosexuality, all based off a series of texts he had shared with another man he had met.

Alice Nkom has been recognized for her great work on the international stage a few times, and been invited to speak as keynote speaker at the Human Rights conferences in both 2006 and 2013. She was also awarded the 7th Human Rights Award in 2014 by the German section of Amnesty International.

Alice has also served on the board of directors, including as current chair of the board, for Redhac (Central African Human Rights Defenders Network. Named Redhac for its French name Réseau des défenseurs des droits humains en Afrique centrale).

In 2020 the Minister of Territorial Administration accused Redhac of being engaged in a conspiracy against Cameroon and security services. On 6 December 2024 he banned a number of civil rights organizations which included Redhac under the guise of concerns with the use of its funding. This included having the doors to the Redhac offices in Douala sealed. Alice Nkom ignored this seal and entered the offices. She was subsequently summoned to a police interview for this which she ignored and requested a postponement for until January of 2025 in order to ensure she has a lawyer present. During a military court hearing on the 18th of December 2024 Alice Nkom was accused of raising funds to support armed groups in English-speaking regions of Cameroon. This led to a summons on the 31st of December 2024 with the national gendarmerie’s central judicial investigation department.

Alice Nkom currently faces claims of undermining state security, and financial terrorism. However, neither of these claims has been backed by any evidence. The latest information on this I could find at the date of writing this article showed that Alice had appeared in court on the 20th of January in response to a summons.

In this hearing she had a chance to address the accusations against her. It is also revealed that these accusations are related to the fact that she participated in a forum on peace and transition in Munich five years ago, an event that was organized by a Cameroonian diaspora organization. Two other Cameroonian lawyers have since denounces the accusations and asked that they be summoned alongside  Nkom since they had also taken part in the event in Munich. I have found no information thus far to show any charges or investigation being led against these other lawyers.

It is clear that Alice Nkom is facing prosecution from her government for waging a legal battle against laws that directly prohibit some human beings, of having basic human rights.

The 80-year-old activist and lawyer is lovingly referred to as ‘Mom” by her followers, and in my opinion the moniker fits perfectly. Here at Kleur we will keep an eye on the Mother of Human Rights in Cameroon, and we will continue recognizing and supporting her and her contributions.