The BBC has a report that the Ghanaian government banned a proposed conference for gays and lesbians and has vowed to find those who authorised the conference and punish them.

The BBC’s Kwaku Sakyi-Addo in the capital, Accra, says the conference was reportedly scheduled to take place on Monday at the Accra International Conference Centre and at a venue in the city of Koforidua. It has been difficult to establish precisely who was organising the conference, and whether it had received any prior approval from any official quarter, he says…………..But in an unequivocal statement, Mr Bartels laid out the government’s position.

“Government would like to make it absolutely clear that it shall not permit the proposed conference anywhere in Ghana……………..”Unnatural carnal knowledge is illegal under our criminal code. Homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are therefore offences under the laws of Ghana,” he said.

However local LGBT activists are not aware of the conference. It seems to me that there is a possibility that the whole thing is a hoax to stir up anti gay feelings and undermine HIV/AIDS projects that cater to the needs of the LGBT community. A number of activists have been exposed publicly and are presently being harassed by journalists leaving them fearful of arrest by the government and even violence from their neighbours.

Another attack against the LGBT community recently took place when Ugandan magazine, The Red Pepper , outed a number of gay men which has led to them being ostracised by their families, being fired from their jobs, put them at risk of violent attacks and increased the possibility of arrest by the police.