By Lamin Njie
The EU top diplomat in the country Ambassador Attila LAJOS has stated that the European has always accepted what The Gambia decided regarding homosexuality, pushing back at claims the EU was engaged in fresh pro-gay campaigns in the country.
Mr LAJOS told The Fatu Network exclusively on Tuesday: “In this regard, I have nothing to say. Because we do not have any campaign, any project regarding LGBT issues.
“Just because many people are saying that, it may not be true. What we did, we commemorate the international day against homophobia on the 17th of May by posting two short brief posts on the website of the European Union delegation and that’s it.
“We are not pushing that, we have no project, we have no campaign. I never made outreach to the government or any Gambian authority in that regard. The only thing we did as a diplomatic representation, we represent the values of the European Union and in that sense, we commemorated the day of the 17th of May which is the international day against homophobia. What we also posted there was the pure fact that last year, there was one Gambian who was discriminated on such grounds, for which we had to mobilise protection mechanism and safeguard him from those threatening his life. We were very loud against any sort of discrimination because we learnt throughout the history in Europe that discrimination never leads anywhere good.
“The European Union always accepted what The Gambia decided. As like The Gambia informed the human rights council last year about having no intention to decriminalise homosexuality and that’s it. Have you heard any comments from the European Union or from me on that basis?
“I don’t have message to them because I do believe if someone looks at facts and not twisted narratives can really see what happened. And the European Union, neither my humble self we are not involved in any campaign or lobbying in this regard and I think that is what the government is very aware of.”
