UK confirms no aid will go to Ugandan Government in wake of anti-gay law
PinkNews Exclusive.
Following the introduction of a Ugandan law which makes homosexuality punishable with life jail sentences, the British Government has confirmed that no aid goes directly to the Ugandan Government.
The law calls for repeat offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in prison and makes it a criminal offence not to report someone for being gay.
The Department for International Development confirmed to PinkNews that the only aid money spent by Britain in Uganda goes to multilateral aid agencies and non-governmental organisations, rather than the Ugandan Government.
This means the aid money is spent on helping the people of Uganda without funding the country’s legal and political system.
A DfID spokesman: “We ended all budget support payments to the Ugandan government last year. The UK strongly opposes all discrimination on any grounds and Justine Greening has been clear that governments receiving UK aid need to meet a specific set of principles, including human rights.”
DfID confirmed that aid was cut to Uganda’s Government last year due to a corruption scandal, but reiterated that the human rights concerns raised by the Anti-Homosexuality Act would most likely deem it ineligible to receive aid.
Sweden has also said it will review its aid spending.
EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton described the move as “draconian”.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was “deeply saddened and disappointed”.
A tabloid newspaper in Uganda today published a list of the “200 top” gay people.
MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.
Report this comment
Please let us know why you would like to report this comment:
The ability to comment will be removed from anyone who does not follow our Terms & Conditions