Information gathered by this press indicates that following the death of Mohamed S. Janneh’s father, his uncle came to take possession of property left to Mohamed S. Janneh as his inheritance.
Janneh is the first son to his late father who married two wives. He has five sisters and a younger brother. It is further gathered that another of his uncle teamed up with the one attempting to deprive him of his inheritance and this other uncle investigated Janneh’s personal life only to discover that Janneh is gay (homosexual)
Following this discovery, the uncle exposed Janneh’s well-kept secret to his family members and all over his community and society as a whole, knowing full well that he was putting Janneh’s life into grave danger, and also to destroy whatever chances he had of claiming his father’s inheritance; homosexuality being a taboo in Sierra Leone punishable by secret extrajudicial lynching by anti-gay activists when they catch up with you; the reason why Janneh had to flee for his life.
Before this time, Janneh and his partner Bashiru managed to keep their little secret to themselves until the uncle stumbled upon it and immediately he fled in the face of certain reprisal, the uncle summoned a family meeting at which all the family members disowned him as one of their own because according to them he had disgraced and brought shame to the family. It was even mooted that the uncle has put out a contract on Janneh for him to be eliminated (killed) by the top secret anti-gay activists operating in Bo City and other areas across the country that are sworn to eliminating anyone that is gay. Some family members are reported to also be looking out for Janneh and his partner in order to execute them for tarnishing the name of the family.
Speaking from a secret location after he fled for his life, Janneh told our correspondent that as far as he is concerned, though his family and others are of the opinion that being gay (homosexual) is a taboo, it is the life he has chosen and it is his right to do what he pleases with his body. He added that in fact, before now he and his partner had been receiving threatening languages but that he did not take it seriously until his uncle exposed his secret and attempt was actually made to murder him; the reason why he fled.
It is gathered that Janneh and his partner fled the country to seek asylum in any country which accepts and recognizes the rights of homosexuals (gay activists). Our investigations reveal that they arrived in Libya but here again they felt threatened after two young men suspected to be gay activists (homosexuals) were gunned down right in front of a group of asylum seekers.
Following this unfortunate incident, Janneh and his partner risked their lives crossing the sea but his partner died along the way. Janneh after being rescued found his way to France because he knows he can seek asylum in France where people like him are protected and their rights of being gay activists recognized and respected.
“So I am making this passionate appeal to the authorities here to please grant me asylum so I can live and practice what I believe with a free conscience and without fear of intimidation,” he is reported as saying on arrival in France.
