Amidst escalating tensions, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has lashed out at the World Bank, accusing the global institution of attempting to use financial leverage to manipulate his government’s policies regarding the contentious anti-LGBTQ legislation.
Museveni’s strong remarks came in response to the World Bank’s recent decision to suspend the consideration of new loans to Uganda. The Bretton Woods organisations move, announced on Tuesday, has sent shockwaves through the East African nation and sparked a war of words between its leadership and the international lender, as reported by RFI.
The Ugandan President’s comments come at a time when the World Bank has labeled Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act as one of the world’s most severe laws targeting LGBTQ communities. The institution from the United States asserted that the legislation starkly contradicts its core values and principles.
The World Bank’s announcement further included a statement that no fresh public financing would be put forth for approval to its board of directors until further notice, reflecting the institution’s staunch disapproval of the anti-LGBTQ legislation.
However, President Museveni, who signed the controversial law into effect in May, did not shy away from expressing his defiant stance. In a message posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he asserted, “Ugandans will develop with or without loans.” Museveni further criticized the World Bank and other actors for attempting to use financial pressure to infringe upon Uganda’s faith, culture, principles, and sovereignty.
“We do not need pressure from anybody to know how to solve problems in our society,” Museveni emphasized, standing firm against external influences.
Despite the fiery rhetoric, President Museveni indicated that Uganda was still engaged in discussions with the World Bank, hoping to find a resolution and prevent further escalation of the situation. He expressed a willingness to collaborate and avoid unnecessary diversions.
The controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation in Uganda has faced international condemnation from various quarters. The United Nations, foreign governments including the United States, and global human rights organizations have decried the new law, which introduces stringent penalties for consensual same-sex relations, including capital punishment for “aggravated homosexuality.”
As tensions persist, the world watches closely to see how the discord between President Museveni’s administration and the World Bank will unfold, and whether there will be any reconsideration of the deeply contentious anti-LGBTQ legislation in Uganda.
