World Bank Suspends $90 Million Loan to Uganda Over Anti-Gay Law

Uganda douche bag President Museveni

Actions need to have consequences and thankfully some nations and some international organizations are making Uganda's passage of an American Christofascist backed draconian anti-gay law have consequences.  Particularly because the law violates international treaties to which Uganda is a signatory.  I've made it clear that I would like to see every penny of aid provided to Uganda by western nations stop completely.  Would it cause harm to average Ugandans?  Likely yes.  But perhaps a rapid decline in conditions might wake these people up to the fact that it is not gays who are a threat to them but instead it is their corrupt and grossly incompetent political leaders.  Even if such a revelation did not occur, at least modern democracies would no longer be financially underwriting the foul government of Uganda and similar horrible nations.  The Guardian reports on the World Bank's decision to freeze an aid loan to Uganda.  Here are excerpts:

The World Bank on Thursday postponed a $90m (£54m) loan to Uganda's health system over a law that toughened punishment for gay people, an unusual move for an institution that typically avoids wading into politics.

"We have postponed the project for further review to ensure that the development objectives would not be adversely affected by the enactment of this new law," World Bank spokesman David Theis said in an email.

The World Bank, a poverty-fighting institution based in Washington, usually refrains from getting involved in countries' internal politics or in issues such as gay rights to avoid antagonising any of its 188 member countries.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim, however, sent an email to bank staff saying the bank opposes discrimination, and would protect the safety of all employees.

He said passage of the Ugandan law was not an isolated incident, as 83 countries outlaw homosexuality and more than 100 discriminate against women.

"In the coming months, we will have a broad discussion about discrimination with staff, management, and our board on these issues," Kim said in the email. "Now is the right moment for this conversation."

The loan postponement follows the announcement by Norway and Denmark that they would hold back donations to Uganda because of the law. Other donors have also threatened to follow suit, and the United States said it was reviewing ties.

Western anger over the law has triggered a sharp fall in Uganda's shilling currency, leading the central bank to intervene for two days in a row.

Uganda is one of the rectums of the world largely due to the ignorance, corruption and utter incompetence of the Ugandan government, including douche bag in chief, President Museveini.  Uganda was not always like this - it was prosperous under British rule.  So-called self-governance has been a disaster for Uganda and most of its citizens.  For a brief overview of what self-rule has wrought, see this Wikipedia article.