Denmark, Netherlands cut aid to Uganda over anti-gay bill

Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have become the first countries to cut aid to Uganda following the signing of their controversial anti-gay bill.

Yesterday (February 24), President Yoweri Museveni signed the bill, which could see gay people facing life imprisonment, with those who assist gays also facing custodial sentences.

The Netherlands have frozen approximately $9.6 million (£5.8m) in aid to Uganda’s legal system, saying that they did not want to assist the African nation in the criminalisation of homosexuality.

Denmark and Norway have both announced that they plan to redirect aid away from the government in Uganda. Instead, they will provide aid totalling $17 million (£10m) to human rights groups and other organisations in the country.

Meanwhile, both the US and Canada have stated that their relationships with Uganda would have to be reviewed following the introduction of new anti-gay laws.

President Museveni described gay people as “disgusting” shortly after signing the bill on live television.

The former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, has condemned Uganda’s anti-gay law, saying that it is as evil as Nazism and Apartheid.

> Uganda’s President signs anti-gay bill on live television
> Arizona legislature gives final approval to ‘anti-gay’ bill
> George Takei: ‘Vladimir Putin is a dangerous man’