Assailants armed with wooden clubs and iron bars dragged a gay activist Broadcast Journalist from his bed and assaulted him, yelling that they were going to “cleanse” their neighborhood of gay people.
Alhassanm Issah, a broadcast journalist with Kumasi-based Zuria FM, was chased out of Aboabo, one of Ghana’s largest Muslim communities. Mr. Issah, who has advocated for gay rights in the community, was kicked and punched by residents who yelled derogatory remarks at him and later chased him out.
Mr. Issah was also warned not to return to the community or else he would be lynched if he is found anywhere near a Muslim community in the country. Other Muslim communities in the country have been informed of Mr. Issah’s identity in order to ensure that he never finds refuge anywhere.
He told this portal over the phone that he didn’t know if he would survive the attack, which occurred in the early hours of October 13, 2022.
“I don’t think I would have a second chance to live if these people get hold of me again. I’ve received serious threats even where I am now. “Some say they’d look for me anywhere in the country and kill me,” Mr. Issah said over the phone. Mr. Issah declined to reveal his current location for security reasons.
“I need to find asylum somewhere or else I won’t live to tell my story.”
Mob attacks on gay people and activists are common in Ghana, but the government’s failure to put a stop to such acts is exacerbating the situation.
Because prominent Ghanaians are opposed to the gay law, some use it to justify violence against Ghanaians based on their sexual orientation. Recent attacks on Mr. Issah exacerbate the situation.
Mr. Issah was severely injured and bruised, and he was treated at a private clinic that he refused to name because he was afraid the facility would be attacked. His family was not left – they were also attacked by youth of the community.
Dozens of people have suffered similar fates, making it a crime for anyone, gay or straight, to hold a gay meeting or advocate for gay human rights.
Another man was recently attacked and his room was ransacked by youth in the same community for suspected homosexuality. Abdul Nasir Abubakar has since fled the country for his own safety.
