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| United Kingdom’s minister for Africa Henry Bellingham |
Malawi and other African countries will not be forced or
induced into enacting pro gay laws in exchange for aid, United Kingdom’s minister for
Africa Henry Bellingham has declared.
Bellingham , who has been visiting Malawi
on his African tour that has also taken him to Zambia, stressed that her majesty’s
government would ensure that all countries in the African continent respect
international human right laws and that do not persecute any minorities.
“United Kingdom
will not tie its aid to Africa to gay rights
but would make sure that all countries do not maltreat or discriminate against
any one for being gay,” he emphasized.
Pressed to clarify if London
was in any way forcing African countries to enact gay friendly laws through
aid, Bellingham
vehemently declined such assertions as untrue saying: ” NO! We are not doing
that and we will never do that at all.”
He said: “What we are saying is that members of the
commonwealth and we aspire to adhere to universal rights and part of those
rights is protecting interests of the minorities.
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries
incuding Malawi save for South Africa, Chad
and Gabon.
Clarity
Recently, British Prime Minister David Cameron has
come under intense criticism from many African countries which among others include
Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana over threats that his government
would cut aid to developing countries that would not enact pro- homosexual
laws.
Just a fortnight ago the Malawi Council of Churches
condemned Britain for
pushing Malawi
to the edge to ratify pro gay laws as a condition for receiving aid.
Malawi’s president has also on several occasions publicly
denounced Malawi’s colonial
masters, Britain
and development partners for advocating for homosexuality in the impoverished
southern African country using aid as a bet for financial aid through the civil
society.
President Bingu wa Mutharika and his government
accused Britain and other
major bilateral donors of promoting homosexuality in Malawi.
But Britain’s
Mail on Sunday recently
quoted International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell as saying that
African countries which persecute gays will have their aid cut.
He said Britain
has cut aid to Malawi
by £19 million soon after two gay men Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven
Monjeza were sentenced to 14 years with hard labour by Blantyre Principal
Resident Magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa Usiwa.
Usiwa Usiwa in his judgement said: “Malawi is not
ready to see its sons getting married to its sons.”
But Bellingham
elucidated that Cameron had never said at any point Britain would cut aid to
any particular country in Africa over gay
rights.
“What he (Cameron) did say is that we do oversee
where we have a big aid program, it does give us the right to talk to
governments not to persecute minorities be they religious, disabled or gay,”
clarified Bellingham.
He said 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, never,” emphasized Bellingham.
He added: “The UK will always be sensitive to
local traditions,” states African Minister, “We are not those countries that
lecture to others we only remind countries of their universal legal
obligations.”
Aid increase
Meanwhile, after visiting Rumphi where UK gave financial donation to a local group, Bellingham said UK
support to Malawi
has increased to about £90 million (about K24.1 billion) from around £75
million (about K20.1 billion).
He said the aid has been cut from government’s budget
and redirected to communities.
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