Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni responds to “intimidation” by World Bank
The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has said the World Bank is trying force his country to reverse its anti-gay legislation by suspending loans to the East African nation.
The US-based global lender, said it was suspending new loans to Uganda, over its anti-LGBTQ laws.
A legislation considered to be one of the harshest against homosexuality in the world, was signed by Museveni in May. The law imposed the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality and a 20-year jail term for promoting same-sex relations.
The World Bank said that the law contradicts its values and would suspend new loans to the country.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Museveni said “Uganda would develop with or without loans.”
“It is therefore unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles and sovereignty, using money” he stated.
However, the president indicated that Uganda was continuing discussions with the World Bank to “avoid this diversion.”
Cameroon has had to stall a similar move by a French official to promote homosexuality in the country. According to a correspondence dated June 19, the LGBTQ rights ambassador, Jean-Marc Berthon, had to visit Cameroon from June 27 to July 1, 2023, before the arrangement got disapproved by the Ministry of External Relations.
