Gambian president Yahya Jammeh has threatened to behead gays unless they leave the country. He claims that Gambia is a country of believers and that these practices are sinful and immoral.
Whatever your beliefs this much is true — an African head of state is proposing, as acceptable conduct, that members of his community, be put to death based on sexual preferences. The criminal justice system of that country to will comprise an arbitrary decision by officials as to whether a person is gay or not, and pursuant thereto whether they get to live or die. Judge, jury and executioners being made up of hate-filled homophobes.
This presents us as Africans with the following questions :
Should it ever be moral or lawful to execute or even discriminate against people based on their sexual preferences, beliefs or anything else?
Can we ever condone or allow this type of arbitrary decision to be made by the government of an African state?
Is it not time that the African Union made it compulsory for certain legal and ethical standards to be met in African countries?
What sanctions, if any, should be imposed on African states that fall below these generally accepted standards?
The president is in Tanzania to meet with African leaders at the AU where the next steps in the unionisation of Africa are being discussed.
The questions of Zimbabwe and xenophobia are high on the agenda.
Make sure the issue of Gambia joins it, Mr President.
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