US warns gays on Tanzania travel
A gay couple. Homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania. FILE PHOTO | NMG
What you need to know:
- The advisory is an indication that Trump's administration is not abandoning the Obama-era practice of speaking out on behalf of the African LGBT community.
- The updated advisory also warns that 'terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Tanzania' in addition to prevalence of violent crimes.
The US State Department on Tuesday urged travellers to Tanzania to “exercise increased caution” due, in part, to threats that gay people may experience there.
The advisory comes as another indication that the Trump administration is not abandoning the Obama-era practice of speaking out on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Africans.
“Members of the LGBTI community have been arrested, targeted, harassed, and/or charged with unrelated offences,” the State Department said in an updated advisory on travel to Tanzania.
“Individuals detained under suspicion of same-sex sexual conduct could be subject to forced anal examinations.”
The advisory comes about a year after Paul Makonda, regional commissioner of Dar es Salaam, and an ally of President John Magufuli, announced last year that a newly formed surveillance squad would scrutinise social media in order to identify and arrest same-sex couples.
Additionally, the advisory also warns that “terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Tanzania” in addition to prevalence of violent crimes.
"Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting embassies, police stations, mosques, and other places frequented by Westerners," it said.
The US had issued a Tanzania travel warning in September that focused on an alleged case of Ebola. Government officials, however, subsequently denied that the disease was present in the country, and the new State Department advisory makes no mention of Ebola.
