The Dictionary of Homophobia by Louis-Georges Tin

between parties has been relatively satisfactory; however, other countries such as the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Niger, and Nigeria have experienced political instability in this regard. Generally, citizens in these countries have demanded constitutional reforms that would allow for greater democracy; however, the revision of legal texts and political policy necessary for such change are not to be found on many ruling governments’ agendas. In such unfavorable conditions, debate on individual liberties, let alone the decriminalization and recognition of homosexuality, is not possible.
    Thus, in Ghana, as in Nigeria, Togo, and Mali, homosexuality is illegal. In Cameroon, Article 347 of its penal code condemns all “acts that are immodest or against nature with an individual of one’s gender”; those convicted of the crime face six months to five years’ imprisonment and a fine ranging from the equivalent of $40 to $400 US (if the person involved is between 16 and 21 years old, the penalties doubles). In Senegal, the penal code is as severe; Article 319 prescribes from one to five years’ imprisonment and a fine between the equivalent of $200 and $300 US. In Burkina Faso, where homosexuality is also punishable, the legal system takes advantage of the vague definition of “public indecency” to prosecute homosexuals, a phenomenon which also occurs in Senegal and Cameroon. While all countries in West Africa recognize the right of individuals to a “satisfying sexuality,” few could have foreseen its consequences with regard to homosexuals.
    In West Africa, religion constitutes an important point of reference with regard to identity. Certain countries still strongly abide by old traditional religions, almost all of which are organized around the worship of ancestors, such as the Ivory Coast (65% Animist, 12% Christian, 23% Muslim), Benin (70% Animist, 15% Christian, 15% Muslim), and Guinea-Bissau (56% Animist, 5% Christian, 30% Muslim). Others are more apt to follow Islam , such as Mali (90% Muslim), Guinea (85% Muslim), and Niger (90% Muslim). Ghana, on the other hand, is mainly Christian (63%, with 21% Animist and 16% Muslim). In general, religious cohabitation is harmonious. In West Africa, Christianity arrived with colonization, whereas Islam, present in the region longer, arrived not by way of conquest, but rather more diffusely through intertribal exchange, a fact which has not led to the phenomenon of Arabization. This cohabitation has incited very little religious proselytism in the region, except in Nigeria (10% Animist, 40% Christian, and 50% Muslim), where proselytism is an ancient tradition and which, in the nineteenth century, inspired a call to jihad which led to the formation of the Fulani Empire of Sokoto (which encompassed the territories situated today in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger). More recently, the establishment of sharia (Islamic religious law) in certain states in Nigeria has brought about a cycle of violence between Christians and Muslims, and has resulted in death penalties imposed upon women accused of adultery.
    Just as it is difficult to adequately summarize the vastness and diversity of West Africa as a geographic region, it is equally difficult to summarize the various forms of homophobia found there, which differs from country to country. However, it can be examined in relation to the region’s history and traditions, and how well countries have adapted to the changing mores and sexual practices of contemporary society.
    The History of the Region
The history of West Africa includes powerful pre-colonial states such as the Ghanaian Empire (starting in the 4th century), the Yoruba States in Benin and Hausa (10th century), the Malian Empire (11th century), the Sosso Empire (12th century), the Ashanti kingdoms (13th century), the Songhai Empire (14th century), and the Sokoto Empire (19th century). These states that emerged, but in the Niger region and on the Atlantic coast or by Lake Chad, were