Ghana Accra (ACRA) – Ghana’s lawmakers have reintroduced an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that passed the parliament last year but was not enacted.
Former President Nana Akufo-Addo did not sign the bill last year before the end of his term, saying he had been waiting until the Supreme Court ruled the challenge. Shortly after Akufo-Addo won another term, the court rejected the challenge in December.
Ghana is generally considered to respect human rights more than most African countries, and the bill, when it was passed last year, sparked condemnation from the international community and rights groups, which the United Nations calls “deeply disturbing.”
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In West African countries, homosexual sexual behavior is illegal and has been sentenced to three years in prison. If enacted, the bill would be sentenced to up to five years in prison for those engaged in “intentional promotion, sponsorship or support for LGBTQ+ activities.”
President John Dramani Mahama, who took office in January, said last week that he was committed to passing the bill, but that the bill should be reintroduced by the government rather than the members of parliament.
Opposition MP John Ntim Fordjour told the Associated Press that he and nine other MPs reintroduced the bill last week and criticized the president.
“He must be reminded that the Council is an independent body and the executive cannot direct what the Council must do,” Ford Juul said.
The sponsor of the bill said it aims to protect children and those who abuse victims.
Ghana’s Treasury Ministry warned last year that the bill would invest $3.8 billion in World Bank funding and could derail the $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout agreed in 2023.
Ghana’s economy has recovered from its worst recession in decades.
In 2023, the World Bank said it would not consider new funding for Uganda after it enacted anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
