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By Reuters
DAR ES SALAAM – The United States has warned Tanzanian citizens to be cautious after the announcement by the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam of the crackdown on homosexuality, a crime committed in the country. country.
In an alert on his website Saturday night, the US Embassy in Tanzania advised Americans to review their profiles on social networks and their Internet footprints.
"Remove or protect images and language that could violate Tanzanian laws on homosexual practices and explicit sexual activity," he said.
The alert indicates that any US citizen detained or arrested should ensure that the Tanzanian authorities have informed the embassy.
The chief administrative officer of Dar es Salaam, Paul Makonda, said on Wednesday that a special committee would seek to identify and punish homosexuals, prostitutes and online fraudsters in the city starting this week.
The Foreign Ministry said that Makonda expressed its own opinion and that the planned crackdown did not have the support of the national government.
"The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania wishes to make it clear that these are its own opinions and not the government's position," the ministry said in a statement.
Last October, at least 12 men were arrested in a hotel in Dar es Salaam during a raid against a rally whose purpose was, according to the authorities, to promote homosexual relations.
President John Magufuli has cracked down on homosexuality since he came to power in 2015 and a conviction that he "could have had a carnal knowledge of anyone against nature" could result in a prison term of up to 39 to 30 years old.
Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in much of Africa and homosexuals are victims of discrimination or persecution, with human rights groups often reluctant to speak in public to defend their rights.
In 2016, Tanzania banned non-governmental organizations from distributing free lubricants to homosexuals as part of efforts to control the spread of HIV / AIDS, although some health experts have warned that the closure of such programs of Awareness could increase the risk of infection for the wider population. .
