The US said the sanctions on Paul Christian Makonda, the Regional Commissioner of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s economic capital, come amid Washington’s growing concerns about basic freedoms in the East African nation
He has been banned by the US from entering the country as he launched a surveillance squad dedicated to hunting down gay people. In October 2018, Makonda announced a project to hunt down homosexuals.
He is an ally of President Magufuli and when he released the anti-gay monitoring force in 2018, he claimed that he anticipated global objection for the relocation, however included: “I prefer to anger those countries than to anger God.”
Both Makonda and his wife, Mary Felix Massenge, are now barred from visiting the US.
Makonda announced that he is setting up a special committee that would seek to identify and punish homosexuals, prostitutes and online fraudsters in the city. The US embassy in Tanzania responded at the time by warning US citizens in Tanzania to be cautious and to review their social media profiles and Internet footprints.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli cracked down on homosexuality after winning power in 2015, and a conviction for having “carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature” could lead to a sentence of up to 30 years in jail.
Under Magufuli, Tanzania had also put restrictionists on media and civil society by shutting some newspapers, arresting opposition leaders and restricting political rallies. Magufuli’s government denies restricting media freedom and cracking down on democracy and human rights.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Friday that Mr Makonda’s restriction came among worry regarding the “deteriorating” state of civils rights inTanzania.
Homosexual acts are unlawful in Tanzania as well as lots of gay, lesbian as well as transgender individuals are compelled to conceal their sexuality because of this.
Meanwhile, likewise on Friday the US included Tanzania to an increased checklist of nations whose people are disallowed from getting particular kinds of migration visas.
