Amnesty International is warning that homophobic attacks in sub-Saharan Africa has reached “dangerous levels”, validated by a number of countries passing draconian laws against “homosexual acts”.

One problem is that while the US and UK governments have tried to use foreign aid to push for homosexuality to be decriminalized on the socially conservative continent, American evangelical christian groups have funded lethal anti-LGBT legislation. 

For example, Amnesty says that Uganda has seen repeated attempts since 2009 to introduce the Anti-Homosexuality Bill – a bill which would seek to impose the death penalty for ‘aggravated’ homosexuality, and which would criminalize anyone in Uganda who does not report violations of the bill’s wide-ranging provisions within 24 hours to authorities.

Burundi, South Sudan, Cameroon, and other sub-Saharan nations have restrictive laws against LGBT people that encourage harassment, blackmail, and violent attacks.