UK WON’T FORCE GAY RIGHTS ON AFRICA, ASSURES MINISTER

Photo/ELIAS MBAO/NATION UK minister

for Africa Henry Bellingham.

Britain will not force African Governments to enact pro-gay laws, says Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham.

Answering questions from journalists in Lusaka on his three-day visit to Zambia, Mr Bellingham said the United Kingdom would not tie its aid to Africa to gay rights but would ensure that countries in the 54-nation continent “do not persecute any minorities”.

Asked if the UK was urging African countries to enact gay-friendly laws, Mr Bellingham responded: “No! We are not doing that at all.

“What we are saying is that we are members of the Commonwealth and we aspire to adhere to universal rights and part of those rights is protecting interests of minorities.”

British Prime Minister David Cameron has been roundly condemned by African countries — Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana — over threats a fortnight ago that his Government would cut aid to developing countries that would not enact pro-homosexual laws.

Mr Bellingham said Mr Cameron did not say the UK would cut aid to any particular country in Africa over gay rights. (READ: UK to reduce aid to Africa's anti-gay regimes)

“What he did say is that we do oversee where we have a big aid programme, it does give us the right to talk to Governments not to persecute minorities be they religious, disabled or gay,” said Mr Bellingham.

He said Mr Cameron had countries like Malawi in mind where there was “very extreme persecution of gays”. Mr Cameron “did not say that we will be tying aid” to gay rights, he said.

The UK will “always be sensitive to local traditions”, said Mr Bellingham, and “we are not one of those countries that lecture to others”.

On the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis’ impact on Africa, Mr Bellingham said the UK was “very concerned” about the economic problems in Europe because 40 per cent of its trade was with the Eurozone member countries.

“We want these Europe zone countries to have their economies move forward and not decline because a lot of African goods are exported into Europe and a lot of European companies are investing in Africa,” Mr Bellingham said.

“If you have a stronger economy; it’s good for trade and investment but if you have an economy that is declining then demand is reducing and investment is going to decline as well.”

Daily Nation