Museveni slams World Bank for freezing loans over anti-gay law

…Says ‘We shall thrive’

Yoweri Museveni blasted the World Bank for trying ‘to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles, and sovereignty, using money. They really underestimate all Africans.’

The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has assured his citizens that the country’s economy does not need assistance from the West if that aid is tied to acceptance of homosexuality. This is even as he took a swipe at the World Bank

In an official statement made in response to the freezing of loans to Uganda by the World Bank, the President said he wanted “to inform everybody, starting with Ugandans, that Uganda will develop with or without loans.”

“With discipline, patriotism, and combating corruption, we shall thrive because our agriculture is there, our industries are growing and our services sector is expanding. It is, therefore, unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles, and sovereignty, using money. They really under-estimate all Africans,” Museveni stated.

The statement was first made public in a handwritten letter by the President, which he posted to X, formerly called Twitter. It was then published in an official press release Thursday, August 10.

The statement comes after the World Bank decided this week to deny any requests for loans from Uganda because of the recent Anti-Homosexuality Law, which is aimed at protecting marriage and children by imposing criminal penalties on acts of sodomy and homosexual rape of children and the vulnerable.

Ugandan Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi said on Wednesday, “The World Bank and others should be reminded that Uganda is a sovereign country, making decisions in the interests of its people, and this is the spirit of the anti-homosexuality law.”

Museveni clarified in his statement that “merely being a homosexual is not targeted by this law. It is going from being a homosexual to recruit or coerce others into your deviance, that is targeted by the law.”

“We do not need pressure from anybody to know how to solve problems in our society,” he declared.

Museveni has previously affirmed he would not be coerced by money. After signing the Anti-Homosexuality Law and being threatened by the U.S. government that aid to the country would be cut, Museveni declared, “If they cut aid, we shall sit down and discipline our expenditure, rearrange our budgets; if they interfere with our trade, we shall trade with others.”

Meanwhile, Ugandan lawmakers have expressed growing concerns over the recruitment of children into the LGBT lifestyle. Groups like Sexual Minorities Uganda, founded in 2004 but banned in 2022, have reportedly targeted minors with cash payments to participate in homosexual, X-rated films. Propaganda designed to groom youth into supporting (and even engaging in) homosexuality had also been discovered in schools and elsewhere.

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Below is the full text of President Museveni’s statement.

STATEMENT BY H.E THE PRESIDENT ON WORLD BANK LOANS 

Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu.

Greetings. Things are moving well in Uganda in spite of the corruption of some Public Servants and some elements of the political class. The Private sector in farming and manufacturing are the ones developing and transforming Uganda, in spite of the inconveniences by the corrupt officials. That is why inflation is now 3.9 percent, one of the lowest in the world. However, the corrupt will be accountable for their betrayal and they will be weeded out.

Last night an official from the World Bank rang me to alert me about the statement from that Bank regarding the suspension of any new requests from Uganda for loans.

I want to inform everybody, starting with Ugandans, that Uganda will develop with or without loans. As a matter of fact, many of the loans in the past were carelessly entered into by officials behind my back when they were completely unnecessary.

That is why some years ago, I put down my foot and forbade agreeing to any loan before my approval. Hence, we are now borrowing less and cautiously. Yet our economy is growing, other global challenges such as the war in Europe, corona, etc., notwithstanding.

If there is an absolute need for borrowing, there are a number of non-Bretton Woods sources from where we can borrow. Moreover, our first oil will start flowing by 2025. That will be an additional source of State revenues and also financial flow into the economy.

With discipline, patriotism, and combating corruption, we shall thrive because our agriculture is there, our industries are growing and our services sector is expanding. It is, therefore, unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles, and sovereignty, using money. They really underestimate all Africans.

I have patiently explained to some of the actors that merely being a homosexual is not targeted by this law. It is going from being a homosexual to recruiting or coercing others into your deviance, that is targeted by the law.

If there are any residual illogicalities in the law, we shall identify them and handle them ourselves like we fought Idi Amin, and the other tyrants, and extended solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Southern Africa that were fighting colonialism and Apartheid. We do not need pressure from anybody to know how to solve problems in our society. They are our problems.

We are continuing to talk with the World Bank so that both they and we avoid this diversion if possible.

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Signed:

YOWERI K. MUSEVENI

• First publish on lifesitenews.com