This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
On December 3, 2019, the US State Department updated its travel advisory for Tanzania, urging travelers to exercise increased caution due to various threats.
The advisory, which comes as a continuation of the Obama-era practice of speaking out on behalf of LGBTQ+ Africans, highlights the risks faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community in the country.
According to the advisory, members of the LGBTI community have been arrested, targeted, harassed, and/or charged with unrelated offenses. Furthermore, individuals detained under suspicion of same-sex sexual conduct could be subject to forced anal examinations.
The warning also notes that terrorist groups continue to plot possible attacks in Tanzania, targeting embassies, police stations, mosques, and other places frequented by Westerners.
It is worth noting that the advisory comes about a year after Paul Makonda, regional commissioner of Dar es Salaam and an ally of President John Magufuli, announced that a newly formed surveillance squad would scrutinize social media to identify and arrest same-sex couples.
