Freetown | 15 February 2022 | Vertex Media
How does it feel for someone to be bisexual and live in a religious society where such practice is considered a heinous crime? That was the predicament of a 24-year-old Mohamed Alie Conteh who was born in Freetown, Western Area of Sierra Leone, which is known as the red spot for these activities, on the 5th May 1997.
At an early age of 14, Mohamed Alie Conteh confessed to his mother that he only had feelings for men thinking this was some spiritual problem, his mother started finding people she thought could solve this problem until later on, she realized it was natural and she just has to leave with it, although it was really hard for the family to take in.
Narrating her son’s torment, Isha Conteh said that when they noticed this abnormality they decided to move their family from Waterloo to First Street, kissy in the Western Area District of Freetown, thinking that all will be well, but unfortunately, life for Mohamed Alie was still challenging especially in the ‘Shell community’ where it was noticed that Mohamed Alie is a bisexual.
Parents started advising their kids not to be influenced by the sexual orientation of Mohamed Alie and the trauma and humiliation became unbearable.
On several occasions, she said that when this community people were too much with the humiliation, beating, and mocking of her son she had to fight with community people as they were now aware of her son’s bisexuality, another parent strictly advised their son to stay away from him. All he do was stay indoors and only gets out for class as this was his routine. “I was afraid he will eventually killed himself because of the stigmatisation” said his mother.
Unfortunately after the death of his father on the 5 November 2021 in the fuel tanker incident in wellington, the worst started to happen to Mohamed Alie and there was no one he could turn to for help as women in this part of Africa are Perceived to be powerless
The street became really thought for Mohamed Alie who only had to sneak out in the night to go for class and adapt to societal pressure as the only shield he has was dead.
According to His mother, they last saw Mohamed Alie on the 1 February 2022 with his father’s burial contribution money given to him by his fellow commercial bike riders, and since then the where of her son are unknown till now.
Sierra Leone is among countries that are yet to recognize the right of Lesbianism, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. Even though the practice of Lesbianism, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender are practiced in Sierra Leone, it is yet to be legalized and those that are engaged in these unsafe practices risk losing their lives, as it is also stated by the United States Country report.
