Homophobic countries in Africa to have financial aid cut, PM says
Homophobic countries in Africa will suffer funding fines if they continue to penalise gays and lesbians, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
Homophobic countries in Africa will suffer funding fines if they continue to penalise gays and lesbians, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
The move is the PM's latest equality initiative and comes just days after he pushed for same-sex marriage at the Conservative Party conference, last week.
Southeast African country Malawi – which has received £200 million from Britain over the past three years – has already had its aid cut to £19 million after jailing gay couple Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga for fourteen years.
They were arrested two days after they had a traditional engagement ceremony in Blantyre's Chirimba township, December 2009. They were pardoned in May 2010 after international criticism reached fever pitch with Madonna and The White House requesting their release.
Now, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said he is willing to reduce aid to Uganda and Ghana unless they also drop laws against gays.
Both either punish or plan to punish homosexuality with discriminatory legislation.
Uganda, which is due to receive £70million in 2011, plans to punish homosexuality with the death penalty. The president of Ghana, which gets £36million a year, has promised to bring in measures to ‘check the menace of homosexuality’.
Gay activists have welcomed the pledge, which sends a clear warning shot to developing countries.
A spokesman for Mitchell told the Daily Mail: "The Government is committed to combating violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in all circumstances, in this country and abroad. We take action where we have concerns.
"We only provide aid directly to governments when we are satisfied that they share our commitments to reduce poverty and respect human rights."
The move is the PM's latest equality initiative and comes just days after he pushed for same-sex marriage at the Conservative Party conference, last week.
Southeast African country Malawi – which has received £200 million from Britain over the past three years – has already had its aid cut to £19 million after jailing gay couple Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga for fourteen years.
They were arrested two days after they had a traditional engagement ceremony in Blantyre's Chirimba township, December 2009. They were pardoned in May 2010 after international criticism reached fever pitch with Madonna and The White House requesting their release.
Now, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said he is willing to reduce aid to Uganda and Ghana unless they also drop laws against gays.
Both either punish or plan to punish homosexuality with discriminatory legislation.
Uganda, which is due to receive £70million in 2011, plans to punish homosexuality with the death penalty. The president of Ghana, which gets £36million a year, has promised to bring in measures to ‘check the menace of homosexuality’.
Gay activists have welcomed the pledge, which sends a clear warning shot to developing countries.
A spokesman for Mitchell told the Daily Mail: "The Government is committed to combating violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in all circumstances, in this country and abroad. We take action where we have concerns.
"We only provide aid directly to governments when we are satisfied that they share our commitments to reduce poverty and respect human rights."
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