The Ugandan government has banned an influential group that advocates forLGBT rights in what activists see as an "obvious witch hunt."
Uganda's Sexual Minorities (Smugs) were suspended on Friday by the Non-Governmental Organizations Department (NGO), part of the country's Ministry of Home Affairs.
The statement reads:
They said the group was suspended because it did not properly re-register its name with the NGO Secretariat.
Uganda has widespread anti-gay and transphobic views where homosexual relationships are illegal and carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
"This is clearly a systemic homophobic witch hunt, fueled by the anti-gay and anti-gender movement," said Ugandan gay activist Smug. said director Frank Mugisha.
"This means that the life-saving work we are doing is on hold. We cannot protect and support vulnerable LGBT people," he said. Added.
"There is, of course, homophobia and transphobia in the background."
(AFP/Getty)
Authorities said the NGO Department , rejected an attempt to register Smug in 2012 because it deemed the organization's name "undesirable."
``The refusal to legalize Smug's activities underscores the Ugandan government and its institutions' resolute treatment of Ugandan gender and sexual minorities as second-class citizens.'' The nonprofit said in a statement.
Since its founding in 2004, Smug has campaigned for the rights of his LGBT community.
The group went to court in 2010 and successfully persuaded a judge to order newspapers to stop publishing the names and pictures of gay men under the heading 'hanging'. did.
Most recently, in 2021, he accused Ugandan politicians of smug monopolizing homophobic sentiment to win votes with anti-gay speeches.
"The politician is using the LGBT community as a scapegoat, gaining support and gaining votes, which promotes homophobia," his Smug director said at the time. told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
