Around 30 African countries criminalize homosexual relations
Originally published on Global Voices
In Africa, there has been an upsurge in laws criminalizing homosexuality. The recent change in Malian legislation is a prime example.
For several years now, African governments have become increasingly strident in their opposition to queer issues. In February 2024, Ghana passed a law imposing a prison sentence of three years on those who identify as LGBTQ+ and up to ten years on those involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy campaigns. In May 2023, Uganda adopted a similar law. In this country, where Yoweri Museveni has been president since 1986, the death penalty is imposed on those found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality.”
On October 31, 2024, amidst a climate of institutional homophobia, Mali’s National Transition Council (CNT), the legislative body replacing the National Assembly, dissolved after the 2020 coup d’état, passed a bill criminalizing homosexuality. The vote was almost unanimous, with 132 votes to 1.
There were rumblings of this new law as early as October 2022. A report by the French television network, Tv5monde, titled “Mali: A step towards criminalizing homosexuality?” explained that the new penal code on which parliamentarians were working would punish so-called unnatural acts with harsh sentences.
According to Minister of Justice Mamadou Kassogue, the passage of this bill strengthens the Malian military authorities’ resolve not to let any foreign powers influence their country’s customs. Although Mali is a secular state, it remains heavily Muslim-dominated, with 95 percent of the population currently Muslim.
In an article by the international media network Voice of America (VOA), Mamadou Kassogue stated:
Désormais, il existe des dispositions dans nos lois qui interdisent l'homosexualité au Mali. Toute personne s'adonnant à cette pratique, en faisant sa promotion ou son apologie, sera poursuivie. Nous n'accepterons pas que nos coutumes et nos valeurs soient violées par des personnes venues d'ailleurs. Ce texte sera appliqué, inch'Allah.
In Mali, there are provisions in our laws prohibiting homosexuality. Anyone engaging in this practice or promoting it will be prosecuted. We will not accept people from other countries violating our customs and values. This legislation will be applied, Inshallah (God willing.)
Long before the passage of this bill, homosexual individuals were already in grave danger in Mali. The story of Traoré, a young Malian citizen living in exile in France, reflects the homophobia in Malian society. He told Radio France Internationale (RFI) how he had to flee for his life in 2018:
Un jour, alors que l’on était tous les deux chez moi, ma mère a besoin de moi et envoie un petit garçon me chercher. (…)Cinq ou six personnes sont arrivées dans ma chambre, elles ont commencé à me tabasser. J’ai couru, et j’ai pris un taxi pour quitter la ville et me réfugier dans un village à côté. (…)c’est ce jour-là que ma mère a appris que j’étais homo. Elle était en colère et me disait qu’elle regrettait de m’avoir mis au monde, que je n’existais plus pour elle.
One day, when we were both at home, my mother needed me and sent someone to get me. Five or six people came into my room and started beating me up. I ran away and jumped in a taxi to leave town and hide in a nearby village. This was the day my mother found out I was gay. She was angry and told me she wished I had never been born and I no longer existed to her.
In Mali, the criminalization of homosexuality has received mixed reactions. On X (formerly Twitter), journalist Niang Abdoul posted a video report documenting the approval of some Malians.
L'homosexualité est officiellement pénalisée au #Mali. Le journaliste Abdoul Niang s'est enquis auprès de la population de ses sentiments sur la question.
RT en français pic.twitter.com/zTTg7A6q1Y
— Niang Abdoul (@NiangAbdoul15) November 4, 2024
Homosexuality has officially become a criminal offense in #Mali. The journalist Abdoul Niang asked the Malian people for their thoughts on the matter. pic.twitter.com/zTTg7A6q1Y
— Niang Abdoul (@NiangAbdoul15) November 4, 2024
The news website Vudaf provided an analysis of the mixed reactions to the announcement of this law:
Si certains y voient un moyen de défendre l’identité culturelle malienne, d’autres dénoncent une atteinte aux libertés individuelles et aux droits humains. Cette criminalisation risque d’accentuer la stigmatisation et la marginalisation de la communauté LGBTQ+ au Mali, qui fait déjà face à de nombreuses discriminations. Le débat reste vif, et plusieurs associations locales et internationales de défense des droits humains ont exprimé leur inquiétude, appelant le Mali à respecter les droits fondamentaux de tous ses citoyens.
While some see it as a way of defending Malian cultural identity, others claim it infringes on individual freedoms and human rights. This criminalization will likely further stigmatize and marginalize Mali’s LGBTQ+ community, who already face many forms of discrimination. The debate is still very much alive, and several local and international human rights associations have expressed concern, calling on Mali to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens.
Outside Mali, concern is growing in some countries. Stop Homophobie, a French association combating hate and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, reported that the adoption of this law reflects a regional crackdown on LGBTQ+ individuals and would contradict the African Charter on Human Rights:
(…)cette législation au Mali reflète une tendance régionale au durcissement des droits LGBTQ+. Des lois similaires ont été récemment adoptées au Burkina Faso et en Ouganda. En Afrique, environ 30 pays interdisent les relations homosexuelles, et certains, comme la Mauritanie, la Somalie et le Soudan, imposent la peine de mort pour ces actes.
(…) This legislation reflects a regional trend toward tighter LGBTQ+ rights. Uganda and Burkina Faso recently adopted similar laws. In Africa, around 30 countries prohibit homosexual relations, with some countries, like Mauritania, Somalia, and Sudan, imposing the death penalty for such acts.
Vudaf continued its analysis by highlighting the complications that could arise between Mali and its international partners.
Cette loi risque de compliquer les relations entre le Mali et certains partenaires internationaux, notamment les pays et organisations prônant les droits des minorités sexuelles. Des organisations comme l’Union européenne et les Nations Unies pourraient accroître leur pression diplomatique sur le Mali pour l’inciter à revoir sa législation, comme elles l’ont fait pour d’autres pays ayant adopté des lois similaires.
This law is likely to complicate relations between Mali and some of its international partners, especially countries and organizations defending the rights of sexual minorities. Organizations like the European Union and the United Nations could put greater diplomatic pressure on Mali to revise its legislation. They have already done so with other countries that adopted similar laws.
Uganda is a case in point. Following the enactment of its anti-LGBTQ+ law, the country lost partners, such as the World Bank, which imposed sanctions on and halted all public funding in the country. A recent study by Open for Business, a business coalition in favor of inclusive LGBTQ+ societies, reported that Uganda could lose up to USD 1.7 billion annually due to this repressive law against LGBTQ+ communities.
All eyes are now on the military authorities, who must grant final approval to this law that will determine the legal status of LGBTQ+ groups in Mali.
Although many countries embrace the idea of decriminalizing homosexuality, most African countries are not ready to recognize the rights of the LGBTQ+ communities.
