By Melanie Nathan, June 20, 2014.
Word has it that later today the United States will make an a long awaited announcement of some action against Uganda for its harsh Anti-Homosexuality Act, signed into law in February by President Yoweri Museveni.
The new measures against Uganda are expected to impose punishment on those implementing the law, according to information received by Reuters.
President Barack Obama warned Museveni in February the law would complicate relations between the two countries. Since then, the United States has been reviewing its funding to Uganda, while privately pressing Museveni’s government to repeal the law.
Stay tuned..
UPDATED:
The White House announced Thursday announced that it would cancel a US-funded aviation exercise in with Uganda and impose a visa ban on officials involved in human rights abuses and corruption as part of a package of steps in response to enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in February.
“As President Obama has stated, the Government of Uganda’s enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) runs counter to universal human rights and complicates our bilateral relationship,” said the NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden in a statement.
According to Buzzfeed report:
In addition to the travel ban and the cancellation of the aviation exercise, the White House also announced that it is “redirecting funds for certain additional programs involving the Ugandan Police Force, Ministry of Health, and National Public Health Institute.”
Hayden’s statement added that none of these measures “diminishes our commitment to providing development and humanitarian support for the Ugandan people, or our partnership with the Ugandan government to counter the murderous Lord’s Resistance Army and improve security in Africa.”
While the US announced some small funding adjustments in late March because of the law, human rights and public health advocates in Uganda and in the US have grown increasingly frustrated with the Obama administration for responding more substantially….
READ MORE http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/after-months-of-delay-obama-administration-announces-action
Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Yes!! This has been a long time coming. It’s here …. thank god!!