The British government is wrong to threaten to cut aid to
developing countries that abuse human rights. Although these abuses
are unacceptable and violate international humanitarian law, cuts
in aid would penalise the poorest, most vulnerable people. Many are
dependent on aid for basic needs like food, clean water, health
care and education.
Instead of cutting aid, Britain and other donor countries should
divert their aid money from human rights abusing governments and
redirect it to grassroots, community-based humanitarian projects
that respect human rights and do not discriminate in their service
provision.
These frontline, on-the-ground projects tend to deliver the most
cost-effective aid that gets most directly to the people who need
it. By redirecting aid in this way, abusive governments are
punished but poor people are not penalised. They continue to
receive the aid they need.
Any sanctions must always be targeted at human rights abusers, not
at the general population.
I support the statement by a coalition of African social justice
activists, which is urging the UK government to rethink its plans
to cut aid to despotic and homophobic regimes. They explain very
eloquently why this policy is morally wrong and politically
misguided. I stand in solidarity with their statement which is
reprinted in full, below.
Statement of African social justice activists on the
threats of the British government to "cut aid" to African countries
that violate the rights of LGBTI people in Africa.
We, the undersigned African social justice activists, working to
advance societies that affirm peoples' differences, choice and
agency throughout Africa, express the following concerns about the
use of aid conditionality as an incentive for increasing the
protection of the rights of LGBTI people on the continent.
It was widely reported, earlier this month, that the British
Government has threatened to cut aid to governments of "countries
that persecute homosexuals" unless they stop punishing people in
same-sex relationships. These threats follow similar decisions that
have been taken by a number of other donor countries against
countries such as Uganda and Malawi. While the intention may well
be to protect the rights of LGBTI people on the continent, the
decision to cut aid disregards the role of the LGBTI and broader
social justice movement on the continent and creates the real risk
of a serious backlash against LGBTI people.
A vibrant social justice movement within African civil society is
working to ensure the visibility of - and enjoyment of rights by -
LGBTI people. This movement is made up of people from all walks of
life, both identifying and non-identifying as part of the LGBTI
community. It has been working through a number of strategies to
entrench LGBTI issues into broader civil society issues, to shift
the same-sex sexuality discourse from the morality debate to a
human rights debate, and to build relationships with governments
for greater protection of LGBTI people. These objectives cannot be
met when donor countries threaten to withhold aid.
The imposition of donor sanctions may be one way of seeking to
improve the human rights situation in a country but does not, in
and of itself, result in the improved protection of the rights of
LGBTI people. Donor sanctions are by their nature coercive and
reinforce the disproportionate power dynamics between donor
countries and recipients. They are often based on assumptions about
African sexualities and the needs of African LGBTI people. They
disregard the agency of African civil society movements and
political leadership. They also tend, as has been evidenced in
Malawi, to exacerbate the environment of intolerance in which
political leadership scapegoat LGBTI people for donor sanctions in
an attempt to retain and reinforce national state
sovereignty.
Further, the sanctions sustain the divide between the LGBTI and
the broader civil society movement. In a context of general human
rights violations, where women are almost are vulnerable, or where
health and food security are not guaranteed for anyone, singling
out LGBTI issues emphasizes the idea that LGBTI rights are special
rights and hierarchically more important than other rights. It also
supports the commonly held notion that homosexuality is 'unAfrican'
and a western-sponsored 'idea' and that countries like the UK will
only act when 'their interests' have been threatened.
An effective response to the violations of the rights of LBGTI
people has to be more nuanced than the mere imposition of donor
sanctions. The history of colonialism and sexuality cannot be
overlooked when seeking solutions to this issue. The colonial
legacy of the British Empire in the form of laws that criminalize
same-sex sex continues to serve as the legal foundation for the
persecution of LGBTI people throughout the Commonwealth. In seeking
solutions to the multi-faceted violations facing LGBTI people
across Africa, old approaches and ways of engaging our continent
have to be stopped. New ways of engaging that have the protection
of human rights at their core have to recognize the importance of
consulting the affected.
Furthermore, aid cuts also affect LGBTI people. Aid received from
donor countries is often used to fund education, health and broader
development. LGBTI people are part of the social fabric, and thus
part of the population that benefit from the funding. A cut in aid
will have an impact on everyone, and more so on the populations
that are already vulnerable and whose access to health and other
services are already limited, such as LGBTI people.
To adequately address the human rights of LGBTI people in Africa,
the undersigned social justice activists call on the British
government to:
Review its decision to cut aid to countries that do not protect
LGBTI rights
Expand its aid to community based and lead LGBTI programmes
aimed at fostering dialogue and tolerance.
Support national and regional human rights mechanisms to ensure
the inclusiveness of LGBTI issues in their protective and
promotional mandates
Support the entrenchment of LGBTI issues into broader social
justice issues through the financing of community lead and
nationally owned projects
Contact Persons
Joel Gustave Nana, (French and English)
Executive Director
African Men for Sexual Health and Rights
Tel: +27735045420,
Email: joel@amsher.net
Hakima Abbas
Executive Director
Fahamu
Email: Hakima@fahamu.org
Wanja Muguongo
UHAI- the East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative
Tel: +254(020)2330050/ 8127535
wanja@uhai-eashri.org
Phumi Mtetwa
phumi10@hotmail.com
Sibongile Ndashe
sibongilendashe@gmail.com
SIGNATORIES
1. Organizations
ActionAid (Liberia)
African Men for Sexual Health and Rights - AMSHeR (Regional)
AIDS Legal Network (South Africa)
AIDS Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (Sub-regional)
ARC EN CIEL + (Cote d'Ivoire)
Arc en Ciel d'Afrique (Canada)
Centre for Popular Education and human Rights - CEPEHRG
(Ghana)
Coalition Against Homophobia in Ghana (Ghana)
Coalition of African Lesbians- CAL (Regional)
Engender (South Africa)
Evolve (Cameroon)
Face AIDS Ghana (Ghana)
Fahamu (Regional)
Freedom and Roam Uganda (Uganda)
Gay and Lesbian of Zimbabwe - GALZ (Zimbabwe)
Horizons Community Association (Rwanda)
House of Rainbow Fellowship - (Nigeria)
ICHANGE CI (Cote d'Ivoire)
Identity Magazine (Kenya)
IGLHRC Africa (Regional)
Ishtar MSM (Kenya)
Justice for Gay Africans (Diaspora)
LEGABIBO (Botswana)
Let Good Be Told In us (LGBTI) Nyanza and Western coalition of
Kenya (Kenya)
Most at Risk Populations' Society In Uganda (UGANDA)
Mouvement pour les Libertes Individuelles - MOLI (Burundi)
My Rights (Rwanda)
Network against violence, abuse, discrimination and stigma-Africa
(Regional)
Nyanza and Western LGBTI Coalition of Kenya (Kenya)
Other Sheep Afrika (Kenya)
Outright Namibia
Pan Africa ILGA (Regional)
PEMA Kenya
Queer African Youth Center Network QAYN - (Sub-regional - West
Africa)
Rainbow Candle Light (Burundi)
Reseau Camerounais des Personnes Vivant avec le VIH - Recap+
(Cameroon)
Riruta United Women Empowerment Programme (Kenya)
Si Jeunesse Savait (Democratic Republic of Congo)
South African National AIDS Council - LGBT sector
Spectrum Uganda Initiatives - (Uganda)
Stay Alive Self Help Group (Kenya)
Stop Aids In Liberia
The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIER) - Nigeria
The International Center for Advocacy on the Rights to Health
-ICARH (Nigeria)
The Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (South Africa)
Together for Women's Rights ASBL (Burundi)
Treatment Action Campaign (South Africa)
Triangle Project (South Africa)
UHAI-the East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative
(Sub-regional -East Africa)
Vision Spring Initiatives
West African Treatment Action Group (Sub-regional - West
Africa)
Women Working with Women (Kenya)
Youth Focus (Uganda)
2. Individuals
Angus Parkinson (British Citizen, Kenyan Resident)
Anne Baraza (Kenya
Anthony Adero (Kenya)
Ayesha Imam (Nigeria)
Barbra Muruga (Kenya)
Bernedette Muthien (South Africa)
Blessed B Rwomushana(Uganda)
Blessol gathoni (Kenya)
Brian Kanyemba (Zimbabwe)
Carine Geoffrion (Ghana)
Carlos Idibouo (Cote d'Ivoire)
Charles Gueboguo (Cameroon)
Chesterfield Samba (Zimbabwe)
Christian Rumu - (Burundi)
Cynthia Ndikumana (Burundi)
Cyriaque Ako (Cote d'Ivoire)
Daniel Peter Onyango (Kenya)
Daniel Peter Onyango (Kenya)
Danilo da Silva (Mozambique)
Denis Nzioka (Kenya)
Desire Kavutse (Rwanda)
Douglas Masinde (Kenya)
Esther Adhiambo(Kenya)
Francoise Mukuku (DRC)
Friedel Dausab (Namibia)
Gabrielle Le Roux (South Africa)
Gathoni Blessol (Kenya)
Geogina Adhiambi (Kenya)
Hakima Abbas (UK/Egypt)
Hameeda Deedat (South Africa)
Happy Kinyili (Kenya)
Ifeany Orazulike (Nigeria)
Jacqueline N Mulucha (Uganda)
Jane Bennett (Cape Town)
Jayne Annot (South Africa)
Jessica Horn (Uganda/UK)
Joel Gustave Nana - (Cameroon)
Johanna Kehler (South Africa)
Joseph Sewedo Akoro (Nigeria)
Julius Kaggwa (Uganda)
Julius Kyaruzi (Tanzania)
Kamariza Sandrine (Burundi)
Kasha Jacqueline (Uganda)
Keguro Macharia (Kenya)
Kene Esom (Nigeria)
Kenne Mwikya
Korto Williams - Liberia
Lillian Kwagala (Uganda)
Linda Baumann (Namibia)
Lourence Misedah (Kenya)
Mariam Armisen (Burkina Faso)
Marieme Helie-Lucas (Algeria)
Mia Nikasimo (African Diaspora)
Mmapaseka Steve Letsike (South Africa)
Mombo Ngua (Kenya)
Mwangi Forsyth-Githahu (Kenya)
Ndifuna Ukwazi (South Africa)
Ndikumana Pierre Celestin (Rwanda)
Ngozi Nwosu - Juba (Nigeria)
Nguru Karugu (Kenya)
Nicholas Mutisya Muema (Kenya)
Nicole Khanali (Kenya)
Olivier Irogo (Cameroon)
Paden Edmund (Tanzania)
Peter Wanyama (Kenya)
Phumi Mtetwa (South Africa)
Pouline kimani,Udada kenya
Prof J Oloka-Onyango (Uganda)
Prof Sylvia Tamale (Uganda)
Rena Otieno (Kenya)
Rowland Jide Macaulay (Nigeria)
Samuel Ganafa (Uganda)
Samuel Matsikure (Zimbabwe)
Sandrine Kamariza (Burundi)
Sibongile Ndashe (South Africa)
Sokari Ekine (Nigeria)
Solomon Wambua
Sserwanga James (Uganda)
Stanley Muiga Wangari (Kenya)
Steave Nemande (Cameroon)
Stephen McGill (Liberia)
Thomas Mukasa (Uganda)
Tony Gatore (Burundi)
Wanja Muguongo (Kenya)
Wendy Isaack (South Africa)
Zawadi Nyong'o (Kenya)
Zeitun Mohamed Haret
For more information visit www.petertatchellfoundation.org
