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The announcement made by the regional governor of Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, also resulted in a new tourism alert issued by the US State Department, enjoining US citizens to remove any content from social media likely to "contravene" anti-homosexual laws in Tanzania. .
"I closed my office today and we will not work for a while anymore," said James Wandera Ouma, one of the few activists to campaign for LGBT rights in the country. .
Another well-known activist, who can not be named for security reasons, said that Tanzanian gays were hiding.
"We are worried about both those who are known to the community and those who are locked up," he said.
The LGBT community in Tanzania has already been harassed by the police and the community, but last week the regional governor of Dar es Salaam pledged to create a task force to gather and arrest those suspected of To be homosexual.
"I'm announcing this to every citizen of Dar es Salaam.If you know gay people, report them to me," said Makonda at a press conference with local journalists last Monday.
The working group was to be launched on Monday. Until now, it is not known if the governor's deadline is respected.
CNN's many attempts to reach Makonda were unsuccessful.
"It is extremely regrettable that Tanzania has chosen such a dangerous path to treat an already marginalized group of people," said Joan Nyanyuki, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.
"The idea of this working group should be immediately abandoned as it only serves to incite hatred among members of the public."
The central government is not on board
On Sunday, after intense international pressure, the Tanzanian government tried to distance itself from the governor's controversial plans.
"His views are not those of the government.The state would like to take this opportunity to assure the people that it will continue to respect all organizations involved in the field of human rights," he said. said a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement did not criticize the governor's actions, nor reassured gay Tanzanians of protection.
"If the government really thinks it, then it should stop these Makonda actions, otherwise the harassment and fear will only continue," said the LGBT activist.
Ouma said that until they get protection guarantees, people will stay hidden.
"I need the assurance of the government that I will not be attacked," he said.
Tanzania is a deeply conservative country and, unlike neighboring Kenya, has not seen progress on LGBT rights.
On the contrary, under the current government of John Magufuli, the rights groups believe that the situation has worsened.
Human Rights Watch said the government has closed LGBT clinics, banned community-based organizations from educating key populations about HIV and arrested activists who were running legal counseling workshops.
LGBT people face a 30-year prison sentence in Tanzania for having sex with homosexual men, which remains unresolved with the laws of the colonial era.
But the prospect of a task force digging the streets and social media accounts in search of "evidence" of LGBT Tanzanians has terrorized many community members already facing a homophobic community and government.
But activists contacted by CNN said they refused to leave.
"I have to help the people who are in hiding, the government must put an end to this harassment, we are, after all, all the citizens of Tanzania," said the LGBT activist.
