In its latest round of sanctions in response to May’s anti-homosexuality act, the US government said it would deny visas to officials responsible for policies that oppress marginalised and vulnerable populations and undermine democracy in Uganda.
The measures were announced in a statement issued Monday by the US State Department and signed by secretary of state Antony Blinken. The statement said they were an extension of the visa restriction policy announced in 2021, which targeted those deemed responsible for Uganda’s “flawed electoral processes, violence, and intimidation.”
The new measures target officials responsible for anti-democratic measures and policies that repress “environmental activists, human rights defenders, journalists, LGBTQI+ persons, and civil society organisers.” The statement adds that immediate family members of these officials may be subject to the sanctions.
“I once again strongly encourage the government of Uganda to make concerted efforts to uphold democracy and to respect and protect human rights so that we may sustain the decades-long partnership between our countries that has benefited Americans and Ugandans alike,” Mr Blinken said in the statement.
The measures are the latest response by the Biden administration to the anti-homosexuality act passed in May. In October, President Biden told Congress that he would exclude Uganda from the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) from next year because it had refused to address concerns about its failure to meet eligibility criteria for the trade preference programme.
The administration warned Uganda in May that the law would affect its eligibility for the trade programme, whose eligibility criteria include human rights, rule of law and political pluralism, among others. The White House determines which countries are eligible for the trade pact.
Other measures include a business advisory issued in October urging American companies to reconsider investing in Uganda because of widespread corruption, weak law enforcement, and human rights concerns. Americans have also been advised not to travel to Uganda because of similar concerns.
