US officials have postponed a meeting in Uganda on an HIV/Aids programme in order to assess the impact of an anti-gay bill soon expected to become law in the East African country.
The US President’s Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (Pepfar), which spends $400 million in Uganda annually, told Ugandan partners last week that a meeting was being postponed in light of the “potentially imminent signing of the law”, the Reuters news agency reported.
The Uganda Country Operational Plan 2023 (COP23) meeting was set for Friday, according to the Daily Monitor website.
However, the US State Department spokesperson said the decision did not amount to freezing or cutting Pepfar services in Uganda.
The bill, which was passed by the Ugandan parliament last month, sets out tough penalties, including life imprisonment for anyone identifying as gay.
President Yoweri Museveni has, however, returned the bill to parliament for amendments.
Western countries have condemned the bill, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning that the proposed law would reverse the gains in the fight against HIV/Aids.
Source – BBC News
Leave a Reply