Authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland have arrested at least 40 people in a crackdown on people accused of homosexuality, a member of the separatist region’s House of Elders said on Saturday.
The head of the Internal Security Committee of the House of Elders Mohamed Sheikh Abdirahman Mohamed said the region’s security forces had detained dozens of homosexual men, adding that an anti-gay law was needed to crack down on crimes involving “obscenity.”
Homosexuality is banned in 34 out of the 54 countries in Africa.
Homosexuality is punishable by death In Somalia, Sudan, southern and northern Nigeria while in Uganda, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone, offenders can receive life imprisonment for homosexual acts.
