Does Obama’s fear of Chinese in Africa excuse him from his promise of sanctions for gays?
By Melanie Nathan, July 01, 2014.
The U.S. President, Barack Obama, seems to have gone ahead with an invitation to the “first abuser” of LGBT Uganda’s human rights, despite his promise to blacklist all such abusers from entering the United States. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni is among African leaders invited by the President to the first ever American-African Summit scheduled to take place in Washington in August this year. And it was this very “first abuser” who declared war on the world’s gays and enacted persecutory anti-LGBT laws by signing the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Ambassador James Mugume confirmed that President Yoweri Museveni would attend the one week event.
“Yes we received an invitation and the President will be going to the US for the Summit,” he said. He refused to discuss further details.
Some speculate that the invitation is a reaction to the Chinese influence gripping hold of Africa. I guess that reasoning could certainly override a fearful Obama’s decision to not permit those who hound and persecute gays into the U.S.A. But who ought to be higher on the black list than the man who signed a law that has resulted in banishment, evictions, firings, beatings and exiles.
The visit sits in stark contrast to this assertion by the White House, who announced only last week that human rights abusers would not be permitted into the U.S.
Restricting entry to the United States. We want human rights abusers, worldwide, to know their misdeeds are not unnoticed and would-be human rights abusers to understand that there are consequences for engaging in such actions. The State Department is therefore taking steps consistent with its current authorities (including Presidential Proclamation 8697) to restrict 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. While we will not identify the individuals whom we have watch-listed in line with confidentiality requirements, this step makes clear our commitment to sanctioning individuals determined to have perpetrated human rights abuses or who are responsible for such acts in the future. In addition, the United States will also take steps consistent with current authorities to restrict entry into the United States by Ugandans who are found responsible for significant public corruption.
Admittedly the White House never said who was on that black list – but surely we could assume it would include the man who signed the persecutory and abusive law that the sanctions were designed to target.
There is clear evidence of the Museveni corruption and his flagrant breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We can add to the vomit menu this clear endorsement by Obama of a 30 year M7 dictatorship.
Nonetheless if Mr. Museveni graces our shores, we will be there in force to welcome the man with a cordial set of handcuffs designed for citizen arrests. And lest we forget there shall be NO diplomatic immunity for war criminals. After all it was Museveni who declared war on the world’s gays. Let the battle begin!
Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
This can not be tolerated!! He said no and now he’s going back on his word? SMH ….
Reblogged this on Carolina Mountain Blue and commented:
The more I read this, the more I’m of two minds here…on the one hand, this is political hypocrisy of the first order, given the recent raft of sanctions levied agst. Uganda by the United States over the country’s anti-LGBT policies. On the other hand, given the growing power of China w/in Africa at present on the international stage, one suspects that the Obama Administration weighed their options here and essentially threw the LGBT community under the political bus, thinking in essence, that ‘blocking Chinese entreats’ into Africa trumps human rights’, a politically crass move that doesn’t benefit this administration in the long term and insults one of the Democratic Party’s core constituencies.
How does that saying go….”with friends like these, who needs enemies?”
Start organizing for a mass demonstration in a colorful drive to message him to scrap that draconian law in place when he steps on the US soil !!
I’m in agreement with you..But Sanctions didn’t stop our Apartheid government. Instead we became more self sufficient. What helped was the dialogue
I beg to differ- Sanctions came very late in the day during apartheid regime reign. When it did happen it brought the SA government to their knees. Had there been no sanctions I dont think they would have released Mandela.
Mandelas release was because de klerk was more forward thinking than those before him, he also knew the imminent threat of a civil war. Im not at all saying that sanctions weren’t damaging and isolated us from the world. But there are those in power sometimes that do not mind if most of there population starves, gets murdered etc if there ideals are met. Look at Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has no wish to feed, clothe, educate his people. He continuous to rape the country despite sanctions. You and I are on the same side. I think sanctions do work. I just don’t think it will in this case
Mandela himself spoke to the huge impact of sanctions especially when he was on US soil.
Yes because it helped. But it wasn’t what ended it. Again I’m not saying sanctions don’t work… I’m saying there are sometimes better actions that can be taken.
Hoew about we agree that in any revolution for change the types of action necessary are diverse and vary and it ALL works towards helping. As in cumulative effect!
Agree to that
we need love for one another the aggrese and the aggresors
I truly hope that this is a scheduling gaff by someone in the administration that will be corrected and not the President taking a huge leap backwards after making so much progress for equality.
maybe he is hoping fir a better resolution talk