Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, is once again on the offensive against homosexuality, describing the practice as an act of 'indecency' which has no place in the country's military.

"We will not encourage lesbianism and homosexuality. It is a taboo in our armed forces."

But this is not the first time Jammeh has shown revulsion for gays and lesbians, and certainly not only in the army. The largely homophobic president who seems to enjoy basking in interminable trend of controversies recently ordered all people with sexual orientation to people of the same sex to leave the country, or risk death.

"The Gambia is a country of believers...sinful and immoral practices as homosexuality will not be tolerated in this country," he said in May 2008. And as usual, he came under wide condemnation then.

President Jammeh made his latest outburst as he preached ‘Indiscipline’ in the military, as part a decoration ceremony for newly promoted army officials. 
 
An undisciplined army, he added, is equal to a band of robbers and thus “dangerous to the nation. From the general down to recruits, I am not going to tolerate indiscipline.”

Anti-Homosexuality Bill
In Uganda, the International Human Rights Day was marked on Thursday by civil society groups who called for the withdrawal of what they call the “discriminative and oppressive” Anti-Homosexuality Bill from the country’s Parliament.

The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, which represents nearly 20 Ugandan advocacy groups, says the bill is “an unprecedented threat” to the fundamental human rights of Ugandans.

"Uganda today stands at a crossroads,” the coalition adds. “We can either turn further towards an agenda of divisionism and discrimination, and pay the costs in terms of internal suppression of our own citizens coupled with international isolation and marginalization, or we can embrace diversity, human rights and constitutionalism."

The bill, proposed by David Bahati, the member of Parliament for the Ndorwa West constituency, provides for life imprisonment for any Ugandan who, whether inside or outside the country, engages in what the bill calls “same gender sexual activity.” It also prescribes life sentences for partners in same-sex marriages.

If an offender is a person living with HIV, a person with authority over a sexual partner, or if the partner is under 18, the bill provides for the death penalty. An “attempt to commit homosexuality” or “aiding and abetting” the crime can be punished with seven years’ imprisonment, and “promotion of homosexuality” can result in a jail sentence of five to seven years.

Source: Africanews/All Africa