Gay Rights Activist Arrested in Cameroon

DAKAR, Senegal -- Activists say the vice president of a Cameroonian gay rights organization was arrested after his name was included on a list of presumed homosexuals given to police.

Yves Yomb, executive director of Alternatives-Cameroon, said Richard Kwa Bette was arrested Friday in Douala, the commercial capital.

He said Kwa Bette was included on the list along with other members of the organization, who feared they would be arrested too. The list, he said, was prepared by a man arrested for theft.

Police in Douala could not be reached for comment Monday.

Cameroon's penal code calls for prison sentences of up to five years for homosexual acts. The country carries out more prosecutions of sexual minorities than any other in sub-Saharan Africa.