Differences in national interest pitched South-Africa against other African countries, led by Nigeria on the United Nations’ human rights council that passes new resolution to recognize gay and lesbian rights, last week Friday in Geneva.
“The resolution, presented by South Africa along with Brasil and 39 additional co-sponsors from all regions of the world, was passed by a vote of 23 in favour, 19 against, and 3 abstentions,” IGLHRC, a global organization in defense of gay and lesbian rights reported
Nigerian representative on the Human rights council, Ositadinma Anaedu on behalf of other African countries dismissed South Africa position as un-african and the resolution as one of may policies that cannot be implemented by member states.
According to the Nigeria news agency, Mr Anaedu while reaffirming Africa commitment to upholding the principle of non-discrimination based on individual sexual behaviour warned the council against been used as a guinea pig on international policy.
“Mr President, If I may ask how come that all countries that lack the ability to have laws and rules and constitutional enactment on issue of sexual orientation only have the guts in the Human Rights Council.
“Does it not show fraudulent practice? Because countries that lack the political will within their nations to subject themselves to the true picture of democracy are the ones that are here imposing in their countries things that they did not accept.
“It means going against all norms of what we are preaching here: principles of transparency, principles of democracy; principles of accountability.” Anaedu noted that of recent, one of the countries that voted in favour of the resolution had the issue rejected at home in Europe and added that even “the greatest country on earth does not have this as a constitutional provision.
“But every time we are turning the UN into a guinea pig in things that we cannot even implement at home,” Anaedu was quoted.
Back in January, Anaedu had challenged UN’s secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon statement that called for an end to human rights violations based on sexuality, especially in Africa, as an imposition of others cultural ethos on everyone else.
Reacting to the newly passed resolution, Dawn Cavanagh, Coalition of African Lesbians released a statement to praise South-African government leadership on the controversial issue.
“The South African government has now offered progressive leadership, after years of troubling and inconsistent positions on the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity. Simultaneously, the government has set a standard for themselves in international spaces.
In Nigeria’s cosmopolitan cities such as Lagos and Port Harcourt, there are numbers of Nigerian youths that now take on gay and lesbian lifestyle freely. Also, there are unconfirmed reports of creative professionals in nollywood, as the Nigerian film industry is called that have been identified as gay or lesbian. However, many still hide their identity in fear of social rage.
