In late March, Namibian President Sam Nujoma issued a statement ordering the purging of homosexuals from his African nation. “The Republic of Namibia does not allow homosexuality or lesbianism here,” Nujoma said. “Police are ordered to arrest you, deport you and imprison you.” Nujoma made similar remarks in 1997 at the Swapo Women’s Council Congress, saying, “Homosexuals must be condemned and rejected in our society.” Nujoma also argues that pushing for the inclusion of gays and lesbians under human rights campaigns is part of “foreign influence,” and that Namibian citizens are not part of the effort to gain rights for the LGBT community. The Namibian Society for Human Rights and the Rainbow Project, a coalition of Namibian gays and lesbians, are call the policy “unconstitutional,” and have spoken out against Nujoma.
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