Tanzania Government Releases Statement About Gay Purge Following International Backlash
The Tanzanian government is distancing itself from the reported gay purge in Dar es Salaam following intense international criticism, reports the BBC.
It was reported that Dar es Salaam governor Paul Makonda has created a team to hunt down gay men, subjecting them to cruel anal testing to determine their sexual orientation. Those who are convicted of homosexuality face life in prison.
Thousands of names have already been submitted to the police taskforce who will “assess all those who will be named,” warned one LGBT+ activist in the region.
The government has now issued a statement saying: “[We wish] to clarify that Mr Makonda was only airing his personal opinion which does not represent the official position of the United Republic of Tanzania.”
Makonda has said he doesn’t care about the international backlash, preferring “to anger those countries than to anger God.”
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