Saying that passage of the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act, "calls into question the Government of Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of all its people, and complicates our bilateral relationship," The White House today imposed a series of sanctions on the Ugandan government.
From the White House media release:
From the White House media release:
The Government of Uganda's enactment of the “Anti-Homosexuality Act” is precisely such a step in the wrong direction. As President Obama made clear in February, the enactment of the AHA is more than an affront to the LGBT community in Uganda — it calls into question the Government of Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of all its people, and complicates our bilateral relationship.After thorough consideration, the U.S. government is taking a number of actions to underscore the critical importance we place on human rights and fighting against discrimination, protecting vulnerable populations, respecting freedom of expression and association, and advancing inclusive governance.
The steps include
* "restrict[ing] the entry into the United States of specific Ugandan individuals involved in serious violations or abuses of human rights, including those determined to have committed such violations or abuses against LGBT individuals."* "discontinuing a $2.4 million program in support for the Uganda Police Force community-policing program," due to concerns about the role of Uganda police in the abuse of LGBT people and their role in the April 3 raid on a U.S.-funded public health program at Makerere University.
* redirecting certain financial support for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to other partners
* relocating funds for a planned public health institute and other measures relating to health programming.
*cancelling a military aviation exercise
