{UAH} Foreign envoys shun government function at Kololo

Kampala.

The United States and Irish envoys to Uganda on Friday kept away from the launch of the government’s campaign to end Mother-to -Child Transmission of HIV (EMTCT).

The envoys did not attend a breakfast launch at State House Nakasero and later a general ceremony at Kololo Airstrip although they had earlier confirmed their attendance. The two ceremonies were officiated to by the First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Janet Museveni.

The action was widely interpreted as a boycott by the foreign envoys whose home governments have threatened to withdraw aid or review their relations with Uganda after President Museveni signed the anti-gays Bill into law last week.

Mr Daniel Travis, the public affairs officer at the US Embassy, said Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi, made a decision not to attend. He refused to divulge the reason why the ambassador refused to attend. “All I can tell you is the ambassador decided not to attend and that is the embassy’s official position,” he said.

The Sunday Monitor also learnt that the Chargé d’Affaires at the Irish Embassy was expected to speak at the ceremony but neither he nor the US ambassador sent a representative or an apology.

Last week, President Barack Obama warned that the US relations with Uganda would be “complicated” if President Museveni signed the anti-homosexuality Bill into law. The US is Uganda’s largest donor, giving more than $400m in aid annually. It also contributes a significant portion of funding to Uganda’s campaign against HIV/Aids. About 7.2 per cent (1.4 million) of Ugandans have HIV.

In a related development, the World Bank has also suspended a $90m loan meant for strengthening Uganda’s healthcare following the signing of the anti-gays law. World Bank officials, according to BBC, said they wanted guarantees whether the loan projects would not be affected by the law.

Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have also either frozen aid or changed aid programmes for Uganda since the signing of the law.

The Netherlands has frozen Euro $9.6m support to Uganda’s Judiciary, while Denmark and Norway said they would redirect more than six million Euros each from government budget support to private sector initiatives, aid agencies and rights organisations.

Speaking at the EMTCT launch in Kololo, the First Lady advised Ugandans to ignore the homosexuality debate which she said has become widespread and overshadowed the focus on fighting HIV/Aids.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

--

*A positive mind is a courageous mind, without doubts and fears, using the experience and wisdom to give the best of him/herself.

 

 We must dare invent the future!
The only way of limiting the usurpation of power by
 individuals, the military or otherwise, is to put the people in charge  - Capt. Thomas. Sankara {RIP} ’1949-1987

 *“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent

revolution inevitable”**…  *J.F Kennedy