In DR Congo, are US funded evangelicals trying to get homosexuality criminalised?

Source: African Activist
 

MP Bishop Ejiba Yamapia

Bishop Ejiba Yamapia, an Evangelical Christian preacher and Member of Parliament, is working to criminalise homosexuality in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Juene Afrique reports that the text of the law came up for vote today.

Google Translate: Members of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) must vote on Friday, October 22 on a text which criminalizes homosexuality and associational activity on gays and lesbians.

MP Bishop Ejiba Yamapia does not beat around the bush to justify his bill criminalizing "sexual practices against nature." "The moral rules tell us that homosexuality (lesbianism), zoophilia is a qualified moral depravity of abomination, references to the Bible and other writings. [...] This law has the merit of contributing to the recovery of morals, the family protection and preservation of cultural identity "of the DRC, said Yamapia in the preamble of the draft legislation released by the journal's web site Prosperity.

The final debate must take place October 22 in Kinshasa. The day before, the discussions had focused on the possible unconstitutionality of Ejiba Yamapia text, as well as the risk of violating international conventions ratified by countries such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter of human rights and peoples.

The bill specifies, among other things, that relations between consenting same sex are punishable by five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 Congolese francs. Any associational activity oriented gays and lesbians will also be prohibited and penalized. That raises fears the worst in the fight against HIV / AIDS ...

An article in Afrique Redaction goes into more detail about today's events. Questions about the constitutionality of the proposed law were met with arguments about the need to enforce perceived Christian moral codes through the constitution.

Google Translate: If, in terms of principle, the draft law of the Honorable Ejiba Yamapia was supported overall, it was a problem of how the casting mold legal without having to walk on the Constitution regarding the idea of rejecting any association that would support such practices. Below, the proposed law Ejiba Yamapia EXPLANATORY globalization, modernism did not brings positive factors in the life of the people in the world in general and particularly in the DRC.

Indeed, we have witnessed in recent decades to practices in the name of freedom have dismantled the foundations of African society based on family stability and preserving Congolese culture, ethics and customs. Indeed, it is the duty of public authority; accordance with Article 40 of the constitution to ensure the safety of the family against all phenomena that may threaten its unity, stability and protection. The homosexual that many see as an expression of freedom, democracy is nothing but a threat to the family, the foundation of society and a serious violation of Congolese culture. It is neither more nor less than a deviation from the human race against nature to relationships. Moral rules tell us that homosexuality (lesbianism) is zoophilia a depravity of manners of abomination qualified, references to the Bible and other writings. Given the requirements to preserve our society of this scourge and promote destructive Congolese culture on the one hand, and to overcome the repressive system Congolese become incomplete and inadequate for the evolution and cultural mix globally to other. The grantor of his responsibilities before God, the Congolese nation, it is imperative to revisit the Congolese penal code by the integration of rules against sexual nature. This law has the merit of contributing to the recovery of morals, the family protection and preservation of cultural identity of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Compared to the Penal Code and the Act of July 20, 2006 on sexual violence, the changes focus on Section III, Title VI of the LC II, paragraph 8 of the law on sexual violence of the offense of sexual against nature, not previously implicated in the Criminal Code of the DRC. ACT The National Assembly adopted, The President of the Republic promulgates the law, which reads as follows: Article 1: It is amended in paragraph 8 of Section III of Title VI of the Criminal Code Act of LFL, as amended and supplemented by Act of July 20, 2006 reads as follows: Paragraph 8: sexual practices against nature. Section 2: Details of sexual practices are against nature: bestiality and homosexuality. Article 174h: Will be punished by five to ten years' imprisonment and a fine of two hundred thousand francs Congolese constant, any person who, by deceit, violence, threats or any other form of coercion or artifice, compels a person to sex with an animal. The person who has had voluntary sex with an animal shall incur the same penalties as those prescribed in paragraph 1 of this article. 174h1 Article: Will be punished by three to five years' imprisonment and a fine of five hundred thousand Congolese franc, anyone who has had homosexual relations. Subject to Article 170 of the Congolese Penal Code as amended and supplemented by the law on sexual violence, is punishable by 5 to 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of not less than 100,000 k constant, whoever by coercion, trickery, by violence, threat or any other form of coercion, forced a person to have sex with men. Article 17 4h2: are prohibited on the territory of the Republic of Congo, an association promoting or advocating sex against nature. Shall be punished with 6 months to 1 year 'imprisonment and a fine of 1,000,000 k constant, whoever created, funded, initiated and set up any structure or any association promoting your sex against nature in the DRC. Article 17 4H3: are prohibited on the territory of the Republic of Congo all publications, posters, pamphlets, film highlighting, or likely to incite or encourage sexual practices against nature. Article 3: All previous provisions of this Act constraints are repealed. Article 4: This law comes into force on the date of promulgation.

Bishop Ejiba Yamapia has a Facebook Page promoting his Orphanages and presumably does fund raising in the United States among Evangelicals.