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gambia

about gambia

official name: Republic of The Gambia
capital: Banjul
head of state: President Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh
state: multi party democracy
population: 1, 4 million
independence: from the Britain in 1965
languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
religion: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%
currency: dalasi (GMD)
media: NA

legal wise

status of homosexuality: illegal
age of consent: NA
laws covering homosexual activity: Criminal Code 1965-90
Chapter XV, Offences Against Morality Article 144: Unnatural offences Any person who—

(a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or
(b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or
(c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature;

is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for a term of 14 years.

[1990 is latest documentation available to DJF]

(David John Frank, Associate Professor, Harvard University - February 2002) source ILGA

background information and government attitudes: “what I want to tell you is that among my animals there are no lesbians, no gays or whatever. They do everything as nature ordered.” - President Jammeh 1999.

communication

mainline telephones: 31,900 (2000)
cellular telephones: 5,624 (2000)
internet country code: .gm
internet service providers: 2 (2001)
internet users: 5,000 (2001)

links and contacts
NA

african commission calls for human rights court
May 30, 2005: Delegates to the 37th Session of African Commission on Human and People's Rights express their concerns at a recommendation to merge African Court on Human and People's Rights with African Court of Justice of the African Union. More...

imam calls for fight against homosexuality
March 17, 2003: 'Aids can be spread through various ways: adultery, homosexuality and lesbianism', imam Abdoulie Fatty said in his sermon, the Banjul based Daily Observer reports. More...

religious homophobia rife
January 24, 2003: A recently published opinion in the Independent (Banjul) by Bijou Peters shows the level of religiously justified homophobia that exists in The Gambia but also points towards a serious imminent clampdown by authorities. More…

homosexuals and HIV/Aids
December 10, 2002: 'Elo-Alen 'Kachukwu, in The Independent in Banjul, explores the issue of acknowledging and accessing homosexual communities in the fight against Aids. More…

homosexuals worse than animals
November 1999: President Yahyah Jammeh of Gambia joins the league of African heads of states persistent on declaring homsexuals as worse than animals. More...