Minister tells Ugandan government about concerns over human rights

UGANDAN authorities have been warned of Ireland’s concern over human rights issues, including proposed laws which could impose the death penalty for gay sex.

A draconian bill likely to be passed in the Ugandan parliament would dole out jail sentences to anyone who talks about homosexuality or who fails to report gay people to the police.

Ireland donates €166 million in aid to Uganda a year. And on the first day of his visit to the east African country, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said he “made our position clear” in a meeting with the Ugandan foreign minister and the Uganda Human Rights Commission.

Following demands from other donor countries, including the United States, the Ugandan government is expected to back down on more controversial aspects of the proposed bill, including the penalty of hanging for homosexual acts.

After discussing a range of human rights issues with Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa, Mr Martin said: “I would like to see our relationship as one of partnership rather than conditionality.”

Other human rights issues, including freedom of the press and political freedom, which will come into sharp focus in the run up to an election next year remain “a consistent part of the dialogue between Uganda and Ireland,” Mr Martin said.

However, he added: “Our original and continuing commitment is the reduction of poverty and we would never let the people who are in poverty down in that respect.”

UCD-educated Med Kaggwa of the Uganda Human Rights Commission said, following a meeting with Mr Martin: “We don’t believe the death sentence will be brought in.”

Mr Martin said: “The bill has been introduced and we wait to see what will happen. We have made our position very clear,” he said adding that Uganda was “conscious of the international concern.”