Gambia's
president on Thursday announced that gays and
lesbians have 24 hours to leave the country or face
death. President Yahya Jammeh has said previously that
he is seeking a crackdown even harsher than that
in Iran, according to Afrol News.
Gambia's
president on Thursday announced that gays,
lesbians, and "criminals" have 24 hours to leave
the country or face death. President Yahya Jammeh has
said previously that he is seeking a crackdown
even harsher than that in Iran, according to Afrol News.
"Foreigners are
cordially welcomed in The Gambia, but not bad
elements," he said at a rally outside Banjul, Gambia's
capital.
He also ordered
landlords and hotel owners to evict gays before a mass
search is conducted by security forces.
In response,
Peter Tatchell of British gay rights group OutRage! said the
threats are no surprise.
"The Gambian
leader, Yahya Jammeh, has a long history of homophobia
and has promoted crackpot cures for HIV," Tatchell said in a
press release. "He'll have to kill an awful lot of
Gambians and foreign aid workers and tourists to get
rid of gays and lesbians."
A government
ousting of gays violates the African Union's Charter on
Human Rights and could spur a withdrawal of
international aid for Gambia. (The Advocate)
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