A 200-strong mob have stormed the offices of Alternative, the Ivory Coast’s leading organization for men who have sex with men, stealing equipment and smashing windows.

The attack on 27 January has just been reported from people on the ground and can be exclusively revealed by GSN.

Claver Touré, Alternative’s executive director, said: ‘They broke windows with stones and stole computers. They left signs bearing anti-gay slurs all over the office. Everything they could take was taken, and the rest was broken.’

Signs left outside the offices (pictured) read ‘fags, please respect human values and morals’ and ‘President Alassane Ouattara, please take an urgent decision for our children’s sake’.

The Ivory Coast was believed to be one of Africa’s safer countries for LGBTI people. But the attack on Alternative seems to be part of a pattern of increasing violence.

Two days before the attack on the Alternative office, anti-gay protesters gathered outside Touré’s home to chant anti-gay slogans and issue death threats against those inside.

‘It was around 6.50pm when me and my colleagues heard whistles and chanting,’ Touré said.

‘Around 60 people gathered outside, shouting things like: “the house of fags”, “we will kill them”, “we do not want fags in our area”.

‘The angry neighbors then attempted to burn the house down with the occupants still inside. They tried to break down the doors and threw garbage and all kinds of projectiles including human excrement at the building.’

Touré and the other occupants managed to escape but a private security guard was hospitalized with wounds to his face.

Touré said: ‘I had to call the French Ambassador who called the Ministry of Defense who called police forces to extract us.’

The attack followed an incident on 5 January, when Touré’s landlord had confronted him after neighbors complained more than 20 people were staying in his home.

They said he organized homosexual parties and that condoms could be found throughout the neighborhood each morning. Touré denies these accusations.

These attacks bring into question the Ivory Coast’s reputation of being a safe haven for men who have sex with men.

Jean Anzoua, a communications officer who chose not to identify where he works, said: ‘Over time the country has built a reputation as one of the most tolerant countries in Africa, where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from all backgrounds do not have to fear the same kind of systematic violence, condemnation and censure that plagues them elsewhere on the continent.’

Since 2010, Alternative has been providing HIV prevention services to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. It is a population group at higher risk of HIV infection and the organization raises awareness about safer sex practice.

‘This wave of violence can seriously undermine HIV prevention efforts since men who have sex with men will not seek Alternative’s counseling and care services out of fear of being beaten or killed,’ Anzoua said.

Across Africa, 38 of the continent’s 54 countries have legislation making homosexuality illegal. In the Ivory Coast there is no explicit law prohibiting same-sex sexual activity, although public indecency with a same-sex partner is illegal and the penal code from 1981 refers to a same-sex relationship as an act of indecency.

Aras, a 30-year-old bisexual from Cameroon, whose name has been changed to protect his safety, moved to the Ivory Coast four months ago, where the capital Abidjan hosts two bars for gays.

He said: ‘It is very different from my home country where some of my friends were always attacked, beaten and also raped.’

But according to Anzoua, in spite of its openness, the Ivory Coast is hardly an oasis: He said LGBTI people often encounter violence and stigmatization, the manifestation of a culture of ignorance and suspicion.

Such attitudes were reflected in negative reactions in the press after Alternative received a grant of €45,000 ($61,660) from the French Embassy.

Matturin Amey, coordinator of non-governmental organization Action Santé Plus, said: ‘Alternative provides a secure, safe and violence-free environment for men who have sex with men, which is crucial if we want to halt the spread of HIV infection. Otherwise all our efforts and achievements in the AIDS response will be undermined.’

For the time being Alternative’s office is guarded by forces from the United Nations Operations in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) while staff and members are forced to conduct their activities in secret.

Nina Benedicte Kouassi lives in the Ivory Coast and is a member of the Key Correspondents network which focuses on marginalized groups affected by HIV, to report the health and human rights stories that matter to them. The network is supported by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.