Diana never wanted to leave her homeland. The 32-year-old comes from Juba, the capital of South Sudan. She worked as a police officer, was a football coach in her free time and went to church. Many people knew and respected her. Until her relationship with another woman came to light. There were several rumors that Diana might be a lesbian. Homosexual acts are forbidden in South Sudan and can be punished with ten years in prison. To be on the safe side, Diana does not want to see her last name in the newspaper.
Most of the time the rumors could be dispelled, Diana always denied her queerness and her partner. “I said ‘Nani, Nani? I don’t know any Nani.’ But that was my friend’s name.” This is how she tells SIEGESSÄULE about the conversation with a colleague and to some extent her status as a police officer protected her from criminal prosecution. A photo as evidence changed the situation: the state security service wanted to take Diana to the “Blue House.” At least that was the warning from a friend who is active in a women’s rights organization.
“Whoever goes in there will never come out alive.”
According to a report by Amnesty International, the “Blue House” is a detention facility run by the National Security Service. “Anyone who gets in there will never get out alive,” explains Diana. “Then you’re a political prisoner.” Before things could get that far, her friend organized her temporary departure to neighboring Uganda. And then to Germany last July. “At first I refused. I didn’t want to go anywhere. I didn’t even know where Germany was.“ Diana also paid the school fees for some of her nephews and nieces and looked after the family. Eventually she was persuaded to flee – she couldn’t help her family even if she was dead.
Continue reading at: https://www.siegessaeule.de/magazin/flucht-nach-vorn-vom-suedsudan-nach-deutschland/ (Source)
Listening to Lesbians 