In a report released this week, Amnesty International reported that homophobic attacks have reached dangerous levels in sub-Saharan Africa. The document, "Making love a crime: criminalization of same-sex acts", pointed out that same-sex relationships are considered a crime in 38 African countries.
Among the most recent, South Sudan and Burundi have introduced new laws that criminalize homosexual acts. There are already bills in the parliaments of Uganda, Liberia and Nigeria with the aim of increasing penalties.
“These evil laws must be repealed and the human rights of all Africans guaranteed. In some African countries, political leaders have targeted issues of sexual orientation to distract attention from their overall human rights records, often marked by rampant discrimination and violence against women, corruption and a lack of press freedom,” Amnesty argued. .
According to the organization, although the USA and the United Kingdom have suggested breaking with countries that do not respect the rights of homosexuals, several religious groups in these and other countries actively finance and promote homophobia in Africa.
