Homosexuality in Africa

Homosexuality is illegal in about 38 African countries including Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. Individuals found guilty of homosexual acts are often arrested, imprisoned and even beaten to death. Here’s an overview of related incidences from various African countries which rocked international headlines this year.

Zambia

Zambian gay rights activist Paul Kasonkomona's trial commenced in October after he was arrested in April and charged with soliciting for immoral purposes for arguing for gay rights during a television show. The police were ordered to arrest him for promoting homosexuality and during his first court appearance in November, the trial was adjourned when the recording of the television programme failed to play. A sodomy conviction carries a sentence of up to 14 years in Zambia.

SENEGAL

During his first extended trip to Africa since he became president of the United States, Barack Obama visited Senegal in June for the first leg of his tour. He called on African countries to decriminalise homosexuality and give gay people equal rights. Senegalese president Macky Sall reportedly said Senegal was a "very tolerant country" but was "not ready to decriminalise homosexuality". Sall said although Senegal was not ready to change it's laws, it "does not mean we are homophobic." Senegal is, like Gambia, a Muslim majority country.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has in the past called homosexuals "unnatural" and "filth". He also said they are "worse than pigs, goats and birds" and reportedly even threatened to behead them. "If you take men and lock them in a house for five years and tell them to come up with two children and they fail to do that, then we will chop off their heads. This thing (homosexuality) seeks to destroy our lineage by saying John and John should wed, Maria and Maria should wed... Obama says if you want aid, you should accept the homosexuality practice... We will never do that," said Mugabe.

GAMBIA

Gambian president Yahya Jammeh said gays are a threat to human existence when he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September and allegedly criticised other countries for regarding homosexuality as a human right. Jammeh said homosexuality is an epidemic which will be fought by Muslims and Africans. He added, "Homosexuality in all its forms and manifestations which, though very evil, antihuman as well as anti-Allah, is being promoted as a human right by some powers." Convicted homosexuals can face up to 14 years in prison in Gambia.

SIERRA LEONE AND SENEGAL

In November, a top EU court (the European Court of Justice) ruled that homosexuals from African countries including Sierra Leone, Uganda and Senegal may be granted asylum in EU member states after the Netherlands asked for advice about three gay citizens of the above mentioned countries seeking asylum there.

UGANDA

Retired Briton Bernard Randall (65) was charged with trafficking obscene publications after images of him having sex with a Ugandan man were printed in a Ugandan tabloid in November. Randall claims his laptop was stolen by robbers while the Ugandan man faces charges of acts of gross indecency which could see him jailed for up to seven years if found guilty.