Ecowas Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Fatou Sow Sarr, has spoken tough against the “sexual orientation” campaign driven by western powers.
She made the intervention at an interactive session with legislators of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Her outburst was triggered after some ECOWAS parliamentarians raised the issue of threats by the West to withdraw funding to ECOWAS if sexual orientation was not taken seriously in the region.
However, out of the 54 states recognized by the United Nations or African Union or both, homosexuality is outlawed in 30 African countries as of June 2024
But since 2011, some developed countries have been considering or implementing laws that limit or prohibit general budget support to countries that restrict the rights of LGBT people.
In spite of this, many African countries have refused to consider increasing LGBT rights, and in some cases have drafted laws to increase sanctions against LGBT people.
Past African leaders such as Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni claimed that LGBT behaviour was brought into the continent from other parts of the world.
Nevertheless, most scholarships and researchers demonstrate that homosexuality has long been a part of African cultures.
But Prof Sarr also explained that contrary to the speculations only 30 percent of ECOWAS budget comes from partners, noting that member countries contribute 70 percent of the budget.
In response to some parliamentarians about the issue, she further stressed, “I am a specialist on gender issues for 30 years. We believe that gender is a science. The imposition of sexual orientation is a political agenda the Europeans want to impose on us.”
“We should not allow them to succeed and as long as I am around (as the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs), nobody will tell me anything about LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer),” she intoned.
Prof Sarr asserted, “Only the male and female genders are recognized in Africa and the two were characterized by their assigned roles in society.
Gender and LGBTQ is a big lie and is a manipulation for political reasons. Gender is a science but sexual orientation is political.”
“The issue of gender is a science and there is a political agenda today in the world with regard to the issues of gender, and in my department, nobody will come and tell me about LGBTQ. No partner will tell me about LGBTQ, I will not bend my back when it comes to partners,” she added.
