Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

1. Treatment by Society
1.1 Discrimination Experienced by Persons with Diverse SOGIE

Sources state that incidents of social discrimination against sexual and gender minorities in Côte d'Ivoire are [HRW English version] "common" (HRW 14 Jan. 2020; Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021) and that they have become [translation] "the cultural norm" (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). According to the US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2020, "[h]uman rights organizations reported the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community continued to face discrimination" (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29). In October 2018, Amnesty International noted that [Amnesty International English version] "the situation of LGBTI people in Côte d'Ivoire has deteriorated" since 2014 (1 Oct. 2018, 8). However, in a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, the President of the Ivorian Human Rights League (Ligue ivoirienne des droits de l'homme, LIDHO), a politically and religiously independent organization (LIDHO n.d.) whose activities consist of promoting laws, raising public awareness, providing legal assistance and reporting violations, stated that [translation] "sexual and gender minorities are becoming increasingly accepted by Ivorian society" (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021).

According to sources, discrimination against sexual and gender minorities occurs in all socio-economic environments (France Mar. 2020, 100; Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). The LIDHO President noted that [translation] "sexual and gender minorities are much more tolerated in the city than in rural areas with close ties to tradition" (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021). However, during a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, the Executive Director of Arcenciel + (AEC+), an NGO that fights STIs and HIV/AIDS and that defends the rights of LGBTIQA persons and all gender non-conforming communities in Côte d'Ivoire (GlobalNPO n.d.), speaking on his own behalf, indicated that discrimination [translation] "does not vary according to geographic location" (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). The same source also stated the following:

[translation]

The Ivorian LGBTIQA community … , we are very stigmatized by society which calls us every name, … ostracized everywhere, always marginalized and discriminated against in every aspect of daily life … and in all matters involving social relationships. (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021)

To illustrate his statements, the Executive Director gave the example of a 14-year-old trans person who is receiving psychosocial support from ACE+, is ostracized at school, has no friends their age, is rejected by their family members, including by the aunt they live with who mistreats them, and whose only support comes from ACE+ and their mother, who currently lives in Europe (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). According to the source, [translation] "[c]ases of other young people with the same sexual and gender identity issues who are rejected by society are very common in Côte d'Ivoire" (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021).

US Country Reports 2020 state that

LGBTI community members reported being evicted from their homes … by their own families. Familial rejection of LGBTI youth often caused them to become homeless and drop out of school. (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29)

In 2019, the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides, OFPRA) collaborated with the National Court of Asylum (Cour nationale du droit d'asile, CNDA) to carry out an observation mission in Côte d'Ivoire, where it conducted interviews, particularly with members of four local NGOs that defend sexual and gender minorities or human rights (France Mar. 2020, 97). Following this investigation, the OFPRA indicated that although some LGBTI persons may receive help from loved ones and manage to affirm themselves, [translation] "in the majority of cases, they are rejected by their family circle" (France Mar. 2020, 99). According to the OFPRA,

[translation]

[t]hat rejection can take the form of ostracism, eviction from the family home or psychological or physical violence. It even happens regularly that parents inform the rest of the extended family of their child's homosexuality so that the child will be rejected by the entire family and there will no longer be any risk of "dishonour." (France Mar. 2020, 99)

Furthermore, the OFPRA explains that according to the organizations that were interviewed, LGBTI persons who have been rejected by society or by their families find themselves in a precarious situation and some are forced to turn to prostitution to survive (France Mar. 2020, 101).

The Executive Director stated that LGBTIQA persons experience discrimination in terms of access to education, access to employment and access to housing (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). The same source also notes that LGBTIQA persons are forced to hide their sexual orientation or their gender identity to access education and that the discriminatory climate is even [translation] "more serious" in terms of access to housing and employment, particularly in the public service (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). US Country Reports 2020 state that LGBTI persons reported being evicted from their homes by landlords (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29).

According to sources, LGBTI community members also experience discrimination in access to health care (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29; Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). In an article about people living with HIV in Côte d'Ivoire, the BBC reports that [translation] "LGBTQI+ persons ultimately have to hide their sexual orientation to access adequate health care in most clinics and hospitals" (BBC 6 Nov. 2019).

1.2 Violence Against Individuals with Diverse SOGIE

The Executive Director stated that LBTIQA persons are subjected to verbal, psychological and physical assaults in Côte d'Ivoire (9 Sept. 2021). HRW notes that even incidents of physical assault against LGBT persons [HRW English version] "are common" (14 Jan. 2020). The OFPRA notes that one of the organizations it met with, Alternative Côte d'Ivoire (ACI), one of the NGOs based in Abidjan, reported [translation] "'a lot of physical and psychological gender-based violence'" (France Mar. 2020, 98). However, the same source adds that according to a diplomatic source, [translation] "[t]he police and the Ministry of Justice have very little data concerning homophobic violence, and the associations do not really conduct systematic monitoring" (France Mar. 2020, 98–99).

According to the OFPRA, two other NGOs that were interviewed, Ombres et lumières and Secours social, recorded nine assaults in Bouaké from June to November 2019 via their telephone alert system and social networks (France Mar. 2020, 99). According to the same source, the NGO ACI also reported seven cases of violence, without specifying when or during what period, that were [translation] "'recorded and validated by the National Observatory on HIV for human rights and gender-based violence that is financed by the Global Fund and that operates in the 39 districts where the Global Fund finances its activities'" (France Mar. 2020, 99). According to US Country Reports 2020, in February 2020, a homosexual man suffered physical violence and was threatened with death by members of his family after presenting his partner to them, because his uncle told him he would not let his homosexuality tarnish the family's image (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29).

The Swiss Refugee Council (Organisation suisse d'aide aux réfugiés, OSAR), a politically and religiously independent non-profit public benefit organization with its head office in Berne, Switzerland (OSAR n.d.), illustrates the violence against LGBTQI persons with cases involving the "'microbes'" militia that were reported to it in correspondence sent on 13 July 2021, by one of its anonymous sources who works as the director of an organization that defends the human rights of these minorities (OSAR 16 July 2021, 6). According to the OSAR, its source confirmed that the "'microbes'" militia, which refers to youths organized in violent gangs [or criminal gangs made up of [translation] "young men, often habitual offenders, who are considered dangerous, sometimes paid by some leader to do his dirty work" (RFI 18 Aug. 2020)], plans attacks against LGBTQI persons with a modus operandi consisting of tricking them by posing as homosexuals in order to lure them into an ambush where people armed with knives are waiting for them, and that members of the said militia [translation] "recently stabbed" two young homosexuals using this method (OSAR 16 July 2021, 6). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to the OFPRA, ACI also reported the practice which has developed among evangelical families since 2014, consisting of committing LGBTI youths to [translation] "prayer camps" for "up to six months" in the aim of "stopping any behaviour considered deviant" (France Mar. 2020, 100). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The LIDHO President also stated that violence against sexual and gender minorities does not vary according to ethnicity but varies according to level of education and standard of living, particularly in urban settings; for example, in Abidjan, poorer people in working-class neighbourhoods [translation] "have greater exposure to violence," whereas people who live in the city's upscale neighbourhoods "are less likely to be assaulted" (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021).

2. Legislation

Sources note that same-sex marriage is not allowed in Côte d'Ivoire (ILGA World Dec. 2020, 325) and that under the [HRW English version] "new" law, marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman (HRW 14 Jan. 2020).

Sources state that in Côte d'Ivoire, sexual relations between two adults of the same sex are not criminalized (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29; Freedom House 3 Mar. 2021, Sec. F4; ILGA World Dec. 2020, 91). According to Amnesty International,

[Amnesty International English version]

[w]hile consensual sexual relations between consenting individuals of the same sex are not criminalised in Côte d'Ivoire, Article 360 of the Criminal Code provides for an aggravation of the minimum penalty prescribed for "gross indecency" when such conduct "consists of an indecent or unnatural act with an individual of the same sex." (1 Oct. 2018, 18)

Article 360 of the former Criminal Code of Côte d'Ivoire (Code pénal de la Côte d'Ivoire) of 1981 provided the following:

[translation]

Article 360

Any person who commits gross public indecency is liable to a term of imprisonment of three months to two years and a fine of 50,000 francs [C$114] to 500,000 francs.

• If the gross public indecency consists of an indecent or unnatural act with an individual of the same sex, the term of imprisonment is from six months to two years and the fine is from 50,000 to 300,000 francs.
• The penalties may be doubled if the offence was committed against a minor or in the presence of a minor of 18 years of age [sic]. (Côte d'Ivoire 1981, Art. 360)

According to HRW, the [1981] criminal code establishes "higher minimum sentences for public indecency for same-sex couples" (18 Jan. 2018). In March 2021, Freedom House stated that "LGBT+ people have face[d] prosecution under criminal code language banning acts of 'public indecency'" (3 Mar. 2021, Sec. F4). US Country Reports 2020 similarly state that

public heterosexual and same-sex intimate activity is subject to conviction as a form of public indecency that carries a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment. In July 2019, the government made minor changes to the law, but human rights organizations reported that the changes did not help to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29)

Sources also indicate that the wording [translation] "'indecent or unnatural act with an individual of the same sex'" does not appear in the new law (France Mar. 2020, 97) or that the provision was amended to include heterosexual persons (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). HRW reports that [HRW English version] "[t]he new criminal code [Act No. 2018-975 concerning the Criminal Code (Loi n° 2018-975 portant Code de Procédure pénale), 2019] removed references to acts between members of the same sex as an aggravating factor in cases of public indecency" (14 Jan. 2020).

Article 360 of the new Ivorian criminal code (Loi no 2019-574 portant code pénal ivoirien) provides the following:

[translation]

ARTICLE 360

Any person who violates morals by instigating, promoting or facilitating debauchery or corruption among minors is liable to a term of imprisonment of two to five years and a fine of 500,000 to 5,000,000 francs.

Sentencing takes into account even acts committed abroad.

Attempts are punishable. (Côte d'Ivoire 2019, Art. 360)

According to the Executive Director, [translation] "Ivorian law is [now] silent" about the situation of the LGBTQA community as there are no laws protecting them (9 Sept. 2021). Furthermore, sources state that antidiscrimination provisions do not offer protection against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation (HRW 18 Jan. 2018; US 13 Mar. 2019, 25; Freedom House 3 Mar. 2021, Sec. F4) or gender identity (US 13 Mar. 2019, 25).

3. State Protection
3.1 Police Protection

According to the Executive Director of AEC+, it is not possible to [translation] "easily" file a complaint with the police after experiencing violence as a member of the LGBTIQA community (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). The same source stated that

[translation]

in some cases, police do not want to take the complaint and in most cases, they cannot do so because they do not have enough training to deal with this type of violence; I would say that, at the most, only one in eight police officers is trained on issues of violence against the LGBTIQA community. Police do not take victims of this type of violence seriously because they lack awareness in that regard. (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021)

US Country Reports 2020 note that LGBTI persons "often" do not report violence committed or threatened against them because they do not believe that the police would take their complaints seriously (US 30 Mar. 2021, 29). The LIDHO President stated that [translation] "persons belonging to sexual and gender minorities continue to be treated poorly at police stations because of the cultural influence and the still powerful influence of traditions" (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021). According to US Country Reports 2018, the police were "at times slow and ineffective" in responding to societal violence against LGBTI persons, who reported that police "rarely" investigated such violence (US 13 Mar. 2019, 25).

According to Freedom House, "LGBT+ people face societal prejudice as well as harassment by state security forces" (3 Mar. 2021, Sec. F4). The OSAR notes that according to one of its sources who works as director of an organization for the rights of LGBT persons, the police force [translation] "has a bias against LGBTQI persons" (16 July 2021, 8).

3.2 Judicial Protection

With regard to whether the Ivorian judicial system is effective in cases of violence against sexual and gender minorities, the Executive Director of AEC+ stated that

[translation]

justice is not always effective as the rare cases that do go to trial are poorly punished and the perpetrators get off with sentences that are most often reduced, because these cases are almost always handled as trivial events like other ordinary crimes rather than by considering the criminal motivation linked to sexual orientation and gender identity.

For example, when a gay or lesbian person is ambushed and assaulted because of their sexual orientation, the police record the complaint only as "assault and battery" and the courts always tend to conclude that it was merely "assault," thereby concealing the real motive for this violence, which is hate for sexual minorities.

In some cases, it is even members of the LGBTIQA community who are paradoxically prosecuted and wrongly punished in cases where they were the main victims. I can provide the example of a Senegalese LGBTIQA person living in Côte d'Ivoire who worked in a local maquis (bistro). At one in the morning as he was closing the bistro, the perpetrator came in by climbing the wall and asked to have sexual relations with him; however, the LGBTIQA person refused. The perpetrator began beating the young LGBTIQA person who, acting in self-defence, took a bottle to protect himself. The perpetrator accidentally hit the bottle and injured himself. Then, the perpetrator went and filed a complaint for assault and battery and the young LGBTIQA person justified his action as self-defence. The police and the court rejected self-defence during the parole hearing and the young LGBTIQA person has now been in temporary detention for one month while awaiting his trial on the merits. (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021)

The LIDHO President also stated the following:

[translation]

In most instances, cases that are obviously related to hate crimes against sexual and gender minorities are handled as though they were gratuitous (unmotivated) crimes, because the judicial authorities generally make sure not to state that there is homophobia in [Ivorian] society. (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021)

The OFPRA notes that the members of three out of four of the NGOs interviewed as part of its study stated that, as of when the observation mission was conducted (25 November to 7 December 2019), no complaints filed for violence related to homophobia or transphobia had led to a conviction by an Ivorian court (France Mar. 2020, 104). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3.3 Government Measures

According to Amnesty International, Côte d'Ivoire [Amnesty International English version] "explicitly" rejected the UN's recommendations aiming to protect LGBTI individuals from violence during the Universal Periodic Review in May 2019 (7 Apr. 2020, 23). The UN Human Rights Council notes the position of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire according to the Minister of State for Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice:

[UN English version]

In response to the last questions raised, notably the one concerning the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, the Minister of State indicated that the position of Côte d'Ivoire remained unchanged since the second cycle of the universal periodic review. Consequently, no measures had been taken or were envisaged to promote public acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons in Côte d'Ivoire. Nevertheless, she clarified that Ivorian legislation did not criminalize the sexual orientation of persons living in Côte d'Ivoire. (UN 3 July 2019, para. 107)

The LIDHO President stated that, during a conference with human rights organizations, the Minister of State for Human Rights maintained that [translation] "'as there are no laws that punish these sexual and gender minorities, there is no need to introduce a law to protect them'" (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021).

Nevertheless, the OSAR notes the following statements made by one of its sources who was formerly a project manager at an NGO that defends the rights of sexual minorities:

[translation]

[I]n recent years, the Ivorian state has made a commitment to bilateral partners to respect laws and individual freedoms, mainly in the fight against AIDS. To that end, it has launched training programs on caring for key populations, particularly LGBTQI persons, sex workers, people with addiction issues and vulnerable young women. These measures have made it possible to set up "gender" focal points in police stations to support victims of gender-based violence and other forms of violence, including LGBTQI persons … There are, however, pockets of resistance within law enforcement agencies related to dogmas and beliefs that do not cast LGBTQI persons in a positive light. (OSAR 16 July 2021, 8)

The OFPRA states that three of the NGOs interviewed indicated that focal points tasked with handling gender-based violence have been set up in police stations where awareness of this type of violence is raised by [translation] "associations specifically trained to deal with these matters" (France Mar. 2020, 97). According to the same source, a representative of Secours social reported [translation] "working in close cooperation with police officers [at the focal points], who do not hesitate to intervene" or report cases of homophobic violence to their organization (France Mar. 2020, 97). However, an ACI member noted [translation] "a decrease in the impact of awareness-raising measures carried out by associations with the focal points due to the fact that these associations do not inform the police stations about the roundtable discussions they have attended" (France Mar. 2020, 98).

Furthermore, the OFPRA reports that one of its sources stated that [translation] "'there is no generalized discrimination by the authorities but a lack of responsiveness'" (France Mar. 2020, 98).

4. Support Services

The Executive Director of AEC+ stated that the Ivorian government does not provide support services for the LGBTIQA community other than health services, such as the National AIDS Control Program (Programme national de lutte contre le sida) (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). According to the same source, NGOs like his provide the rest of the support services that are offered and are entirely financed by private international organizations (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). Although the LIDHO President stated that [translation] "the authorities are not doing enough to protect sexual and gender minorities," he also stated that the government has implemented some assistance services, in particular through the Ministry of Justice's Human Rights Directorate and the National AIDS Control Program, which allow sexual and gender minorities to file complaints on their respective websites and transfer them to the appropriate police department, as well as the hotlines set up by the Human Rights Council's National Committee to Combat Violence (Comité national de lutte contre les violences), which were initially reserved for victims of family violence and violence against women but which sexual and gender minorities may also use (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021).

According to the OSAR, the state has no psychological assistance programs for victims of homophobia, as one of its sources, an external relations manager at an association that defends the rights of LGBTQI persons in Abidjan, told it during an interview on 27 March 2019 that [translation] "victims of homophobic violence in Côte d'Ivoire cannot access psychological support without paying the psychologist's fees on their own. There is no state assistance in that respect" (OSAR 16 July 2021, 10).

4.1 Drop-in Centres

According to the Executive Director, the main services and activities offered by the NGO AEC+ and other similar organizations that it collaborates with [particularly ENDA santé (Executive Director 3 Sept. 2021)] are centred around six drop-in centres (DICs), three of which are located in the city of Abidjan (Executive Director 9 Sept. 2021). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Executive Director indicated that the other centres are located in Bassam [or Grand-Bassam], Aboisso and Bouaké and he provided the following description of these drop-in centres:

[translation]

All of these centres have the same capacity and all the same activities, namely:

• Medical care for LGBTIQ persons
• Psychological care
• Psychosocial care
• Paralegal services
• A monitoring service for people with HIV
• A recreation room
• Rooms for lodging.

AEC+ has five rooms in the DIC and three rooms at its head office in Abobo Sogefia [in Abidjan]. Our centre welcomes LGBTIQ persons who are victims of rejection and stigmatization for a renewable period of three months depending on the impact of the situation. Housing and care are offered free of charge in our DICs.

Despite our efforts to welcome our peers, our space cannot accommodate the vast majority of them, given the budgetary limitations faced by AEC+. (Executive Director 3 Sept. 2021)

The LIDHO President also stated that [translation] "ENDA santé and AEC+ bring together programs that combat HIV/AIDS and the main services offered to sexual and gender minorities, including medical assistance, psychosocial assistance, recreational activities and shelters" (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021).

4.2 Other Services

The LIDHO President of the LIDHO stated that his association mainly provides legal and judicial assistance to gender and sexual minorities who need it and carries out activities to raise awareness of the rights of these minorities among the minorities themselves and the general public (LIDHO 6 Sept. 2021).

The OFPRA notes that the associations that defend the rights of sexual and gender minorities provide [translation] "support and refuge" for isolated LGBTI persons by enabling them to meet each other at their headquarters in an informal setting or at planned activities (France Mar. 2020, 101). Without providing further details, the OFPRA also notes individual and local initiatives like those of the NGOs Secours social and Ombres et lumières, which respectively have a monitoring system and an alert system that operates via telephone and through their members' social networks (France Mar. 2020, 99). However, the same source also reports that [translation] "[t]he NGOs we met stated that they try their best to help vulnerable people find housing but that none of them has the material resources to set up a shelter at this time [late 2019]" (France Mar. 2020, 101).

According to the OSAR, a source who was formerly a project manager at an NGO that defends the rights of sexual minorities reported in correspondence sent on 14 July 2021 that ACI is [translation] "the only association that offers psychological care for urgent cases" (OSAR 16 July 2021, 9).

The BBC reports that the Clinique de confiance, which is operated by the NGO Espace confiance, has become [translation] "a specialized health centre" that aims to decrease the spread of HIV among key vulnerable groups (BBC 6 Nov. 2019). According to the same source, there are five other centres managed by Espace confiance that also work on prevention and awareness raising among key populations and health professionals (BBC 6 Nov. 2019).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amnesty International. 7 April 2020. "Côte d'Ivoire." Les droits humains en Afrique. Rétrospectives 2019. [Accessed 31 Aug. 2021]

Amnesty International. 1 October 2018. Côte d'Ivoire : La situation en matière des droits humains demeure fragile. Amnesty International Submission for the UN Universal Periodic Review, 33rd Session of the UPR Working Group, May 2019. [Accessed 9 Sept. 2021]

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 6 November 2019. Suy Kahofi Jischvi. "Soigner les LGBTQI+ de Côte d'Ivoire, un défi pour la Clinique de Confiance." [Accessed 10 Sept. 2021]

Côte d'Ivoire. 2019. Loi no 2019-574 portant code pénal ivoirien. In Droit pénal, by the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), 2020. [Accessed 10 Sept. 2021]

Cׅôte d'Ivoire. 1981. Code pénal de la Côte d'Ivoire. [Accessed 8 Sept. 2021]

Executive Director, Arc-en-Ciel Plus (AEC+). 9 September 2021. Telephone interview with the Research Directorate.

Executive Director, Arc-en-Ciel Plus (AEC+). 3 September 2021. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

France. March 2020. Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides (OFPRA) and Cour nationale du droit d'asile (CNDA). Rapport de mission en République de Côte d'Ivoire du 25 novembre au 7 décembre 2019. [Accessed 1 Sept. 2021]

Freedom House. 3 March 2021. "Côte d'Ivoire." Freedom in the World 2020. [Accessed 10 Sept. 2021]

GlobalNPO. N.d. "New Arc en ciel plus ivoire." [Accessed 31 Aug. 2021]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 14 January 2020. "Côte d'Ivoire." Rapport mondial 2020 : événements de 2019. [Accessed 31 Aug. 2021]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 18 January 2018. "Côte d'Ivoire." Rapport mondial 2018 : événements de 2017. [Accessed 10 Sept. 2021]

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World). December 2020. Lucas Ramón Mendos, et al. State-Sponsored Homophobia 2019. Global Legislation Overview Update. [Accessed 6 Sept. 2021]

Ligue ivoirienne des droits de l'homme (LIDHO). 6 September 2021. Telephone interview with the President.

Ligue ivoirienne des droits de l'homme (LIDHO). N.d. "Connaître la LIDHO." [Accessed 6 Sept. 2021]

Radio France internationale (RFI). 18 August 2020. Côte d'Ivoire : des bandes criminelles sèment-elles le chaos dans les manifestations? [Accessed 22 Sept. 2021]

Organisation suisse d'aide aux réfugiés (OSAR). 16 July 2021. Côte d'Ivoire : situation des personnes LGBTQI et protection de l'État. [Accessed 9 Sept. 2021]

Organisation suisse d'aide aux réfugiés (OSAR). N.d. "Organisation." [Accessed 9 Sept. 2021]

United Nations (UN). 3 July 2019. Human Rights Council. Rapport du Groupe de travail sur l'Examen périodique universel – Côte d'Ivoire. (A/HRC/42/6) [Accessed 6 Sept. 2021]

United States (US). 30 March 2021. Côte d'Ivoire. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2020. [Accessed 31 Aug. 2021]

United States (US). 13 March 2019. "Côte d'Ivoire." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018. [Accessed 10 Sept. 2021]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Alliance Côte d'Ivoire; Alternative Côte d'Ivoire; Coalition ivoirienne des défenseurs des droits humains; International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association; Lesbians Life Association Côte d'Ivoire.

Internet sites, including: Austrian Red Cross – Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation; Care International; Fédération internationale pour les droits humains; International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission; UN – Refworld; US – CIA.