Sweden, Denmark and Norway Cut Off Aid Money To Uganda Over Anti-Gay Legislation
by Will Kohler
The
country of Sweden on Wednesday announced that it would
stop all development aid payments to Uganda immediately "because of the
anti-gay legislation" passed in late February.
"The
government reaffirms its strong condemnation of the Ugandan legislation
that violates the fundamental rights of homosexuals, bisexuals and
transgender people," International Aid Minister Hillevi Engström said.
"Swedish
aid is not unconditional. That's why the government has decided to
withhold state-to-state payments," she added without specifying the
amount involved.
On
February 24th, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a
series of bills banning the promotion of homosexuality and making it
mandatory to report gays in a country where they can face life-time
imprisonment.
Other
European nations, namely Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, announced
on the very same day that they would freeze their aid to the Ugandan
state or redirect it towards private sector initiatives, aid agencies
and rights organizations.
Sweden's subsidies to Uganda in 2012 amounted to $34.1 million dollars.
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