Something Inside So Strong
on Tales Of The Gambia (The Gambia), 17/Apr/2012 18:55, 34 days ago
It’s a quiet town, Brikama, so most weekends I go and visit VSO friends of mine in the main urban area, Kombo, and we often go out to eat. There’s a nice ordinary little bar& restaurant quite near where they live and, as whities, your faces get recognised over time and the staff will chat and sometimes even come and sit with you. One of the waiters, a guy called Amadou, has been a pretty constant feature of the restaurant and we have all got to know him reasonably well. Last week Amadou, along with 17 other people, was arrested on suspicion of being gay. He is due to appear in court this Thursday (19th April) but, after bail was denied, is currently being held at Mile Two prison near Banjul. Mile Two is not like‘Porridge’. It’s a bad place. If they’re convicted they could each get up to 14 years hard labour. (http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/18-homosexuals-charged-arraigned)I would imagine that Amadou and the others are pretty terrified. They are being charged with homosexual practices in a country where those practices arouse strong negative feelings amongst the general public, and where the head of state has publicly stated that he would behead homosexuals if he knew where they were (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7416536.stm&http://dailynews.gm/africa/gambia/article/did-god-make-mistake-no-jammeh-slams-wests-gay-rights-or-no-aid-campaign-as-new-wave-of-evil).I thought it was a nice touch by the newspaper sourced above to name all 18 people. So even if they are released on Thursday, or found‘innocent’, their names are now known to the wider public. Please think about Amadou and the others on Thursday. Send them a prayer if you’re so minded. I’ll let you know what happens.