Metro

Burundi’s president wants gay couples stoned

Published

10 months ago

December 31, 2023

The President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, has called for the public stoning of same-sex couples. The president, a devout Catholic, described same-sex marriage as an “abominable practice.”

Additionally, he took aim at Western nations that compelled other countries to grant gay rights or risk losing their assistance. In 2009, homosexuality was made a crime in Burundi, an East African nation of conservative Christian beliefs. Consensual same-sex acts can result in sentences of up to two years in prison.

Ndayishimiye said in response to a question at a public event in the east of the country that, “Personally, I think if we see these kinds of individuals in Burundi, we should put them in a stadium and stone them. And it would not be a sin for those who do.”

Additionally, he criticised Western nations for pressuring smaller countries to accept gay marriage or risk having their aid withheld, saying, “Let them keep their help; let them keep it.” He went on to say that Burundian expatriates who had “chosen the devil” and practiced homosexuality ought “not to return.”

Burundi and its East African neighbours have been strong against the LGBTQ community. Several other African countries also have strong legislations against people who identify with the LGBTQ movement. For example, in March, Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, warned advocates of the LGBTQ movement to desist from promoting homosexuality and insisted that the country “maintain laws that abhor alien orientations like gayism and lesbianism.”

But the story is not the same for all African countries. In 2006, South Africa became the first, and remains the only, African country to legalize same-sex marriage, with a constitution that also protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Others like Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, and Seychelles, all have laws in favour of the community in Africa.

Related Topics:Burundi Featured Gay couples LGBTQ

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Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

18 mins ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

Metro

Zambia: President Hichilema urges traditional leaders to invoke rainmaking powers amid drought

Published

18 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called on traditional leaders to call upon their rainmaking powers by praying for rain as the nation continues to face the menace of drought.

Hichilema, who made the plea while speaking during the Shikaumpa traditional ceremony of the Ila people in Namwala on Sunday, expressed hope for divine intervention and sufficient rains.

“We pray that this year, God will give us rains, sufficient rains, so we can grow more food, so we can take care of the things, the assets that we keep,” the President stated.

He noted that he was informed of certain chiefs known for their rainmaking abilities, including Senior Chief Mwamba of Northern Province, Chief Sailunga of North-Western Province and Mwami Monze from the Southern Province and urged them to use their powers to invoke rain, adding that the chiefs should continue their prayers for rain, believing that “God will hear our cry.”

The President also encouraged not only the chiefs but also the churches and the entire nation to join in prayers for rain.

“All of us, the churches, everybody, we must pray for rains so that we can take care of God’s people properly,” he said.

The head of state further urged farmers to intensify efforts at planting crops and maximizing their harvest for national food security once the rain comes.

The drought in Zambia in recent
seasons have left 84 districts severely impacted, leading to food shortages and a worsening electricity deficit due to low water levels.