The Anonymous and TheEliteSociety hacking groups have launched a joint all-out attack against countries in Africa that kill or imprison LGBT people in an operation dubbed #OpFuckAfrica.
So far websites in Botswana, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda have been taken down or their databases have been leaked.
The groups promise more websites will be hacked in African states that oppress LGBT rights.
Anonymous is a loosely associated group of ‘hacktivists’ which originated in 2003, which strongly opposes any form of oppression and censorship, and has been recently started to target governments which have anti-LGBT polices. Some of its members sometimes appear in public wearing Guy Fawkes masks.
In this operation Anonymous hacktivists are targeting governmental and national websites.
TheEliteSociety founded by hacktivist known as @Dramasett3r is a gray hat hacktivist group, which may technically commit crimes during the course of their technological exploits but without malicious intent or for personal gain. The group also opposes any form of oppression and censorship.
In a statement @Dramasett3r said: ‘Message to the governments and communications of Africa:
‘Allow myself and #EliteSociety, [to] welcome you to Operation FUCK AFRICA(#OpFuckAfrica).
‘You want to put people to death, and support the beliefs of the killings of the LGBT people only because they have different likings than you do, how fucking disgusting.
‘Let me take you back to the 1800s, when the Americans would infiltrate Africa and take people to work as slaves only because they were black. Your stereotypes are pathetic, and so are you and your security.
‘This will continue, until you change your ways and beliefs [against] LGBT. There is no need to put people to death for this, and we will not tolerate it.
‘Put this to a stop now, or else it all [website databases] will be leaked worldwide.
‘We are #EliteSociety.
‘#JusticeWillPrevail.’ [sic]
Uganda was particularly singled out for hacks. Those which have been taken down or had their websites databases leaked include:
Parliament of Uganda (taken down for a short while)
Uganda Stock Exchange was hacked along with part of its database
Uganda Law Society
Uganda National TV
Redpeper, a daily newspaper which ran homophobic articles in 2009
The website of the American anti-gay evangelist Scott Lively who is linked to Uganda’s anti-gay bill was also taken down
Hacktivist @Dramasett3r stated that myuganda.co.ug and Uganda’s Ministry Of Internal Affairs are next to be target in the country.
Recently the groups hacked the websites of the Prime Minister of Uganda and Uganda Justice Law and Order sector.
In a message to the Ugandan government @Dramasett3r stated: ‘So, what now? We’ve defaced your Prime Minister’s site, leaked all of your National TV networks DB [databases].
‘So let me ask you this, what can you afford to lose next?’
Yesterday hacktivists hacked the website of Botswana’s Export Development and Investment Authority, and leaked its database.
Somalia’s TV Network and Gurmad company websites were also hacked.
Anonymous also recently hacked the Sudanese stock exchange in Khartoom, Sudan – leaking its database.
The groups also promise to bring down key websites in all African countries that imprison or kill gay people. Humantarian and human rights related websites will not be trarged.
Some LGBT rights advocates have expressed concern over the hacktivists operation.
Melanie Nathan a South African activist now based in the US stated on her blog: ‘While I support all protests against the anti-gay Ugandan government, I fear this may cause a backlash to the LGBTI community of activists who so bravely showed their faces at Pride.
‘I fear that they have failed to consider the particular sensitive issues involved to the Ugandan LGBT gay community.’
In response Anonymous hacktivists told GSN: ‘Anonymous doesn’t speak for Ugandans and never claimed to.’
Gay Star News contacted key activists from Sexual Minorities Uganda and others on 14 August but so far they have chosen not to comment.
Source Gay Star News
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