Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:41 pm
Gabon’s upper parliamentary chamber, the senate, has voted in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, a week after the lower house strongly voted in that direction.
The ball is now in the court of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose ratification will make the bill law in the central African country. Gabon will join a handful of African countries to legally allow homosexuality.
The legislation has not gone down well with a core section of the largely religious Gabonese society with reports indicating that prominent politicians, religious leaders and a cross section of the public have denounced the legislation, describing it as a change designed to appease foreign donors.
The bill if assented to by the president will expunge a 2019 law that criminalised homosexuality, stipulating a six months jail term and sizeable fine for gay sex.
Activists and pro-gay rights group are celebrating the move as key steps in seeking that African governments respect the rights of same-sex couples.
Reports by such groups in other African countries have routinely alleged that the LGBT community have been forced underground due to harassment from anti-gay elements in their societies and actions of law enforcement.
Gabon’s legislative arm of government is bicameral in nature. The Senate consists of 91 seats elected for six-year terms by members of municipal councils and departmental (or divisional) assemblies.
The National Assembly consists of 120 seats. Members are elected for a five-year term by direct popular vote. The legislative branch shares the right to initiate new laws with the executive.
The government of Kenya announced that it is looking into the suspected kidnapping ofKizza Besigye, a well-known opposition politician from…
A team of 80 security agents tasked with protecting the electricity grid was ambushed onMonday in Shiroro, Niger State, by…
Cryptocurrency becomes the new thing in Africa. People shift for stable alternatives aftertheir unstable local currencies. Many people believe Donald…
UAE has also distributed 30,000 food baskets to Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo refugeecamp Uganda to benefit nearly 100,000 affected people.Aid…
The trade volume between Türkiye and 54 African countries has grown sevenfold, reaching $37 billion from 2003 to 2023, Yılmaz…
The final round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches was held this week with Tanzania, Botswana and…
This website uses cookies.