An official of the Addis Ababa Peace and Security Administration Bureau shuts down an hotel. Photo: dailyimages
Ethiopian authorities have said the government is clamping down on gay sexual activities, particularly in hotels, bars, and entertainment joints in the capital city.
In a statement, a government organisation, the Addis Ababa Peace and Security Administration Bureau, said it was taking action against institutions where homosexual acts are being carried out.
According to the Bureau, the actions followed tip-offs from the public, stressing that a guest house had already been raided.
The Bureau appealed to the public to report such activities to the police and promised to intensify efforts at clamping down on places that are reported to engage in such acts.
Gay sex is prohibited in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s laws prohibit same-sex sexual activity.
Ethiopians believe LBGTQ is a “Western distortion of their cultural values.”
Additionally, there is a widely held perception that homosexual men are culpable for the asserted HIV/AIDS outbreak in the nation.
According to the findings of the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 97 percent of Ethiopians regard homosexuality as an unacceptable way of life, positioning Ethiopia as having the second-highest rate of non-acceptance among the 45 countries surveyed.
Writing by Joy Mohime; Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade