VIDEO: U.S warns of aid reduction to Ghana if Akufo-Addo signs anti-LGBTQ bill
U.S. State Department spokesperson, Matt Miller
The United States has issued a cautionary statement, indicating the possibility of reducing foreign aid to Ghana if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo signs a recently approved bill criminalising LGBTQ activities into law.
Read full articleParliament, on February 27, 2024, passed the anti-LGBTQ bill, proposing prison sentences of up to three years for identifying as LGBTQ and five years for establishing or supporting LGBTQ organisations.
Expressing concerns about the potential repercussions, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller stated, "We have clearly communicated our opinion on that law, and we have conveyed our concerns in private conversations with the Government of Ghana. If this bill becomes law, it would certainly have a chilling effect on foreign investment and tourism in Ghana."
Miller added that the enactment of the bill could impact U.S. assistance to the country, citing similar outcomes in Uganda, which passed a comparable law in the past.
As the bill awaits President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's approval, he has indicated a willingness to sign it if it aligns with the majority of Ghanaians' wishes.
In the fiscal year 2022, the United States provided over $211 million in assistance to Ghana, supporting various sectors such as agriculture, malaria prevention, and AIDS combat efforts. The potential impact of the new law on aid remains uncertain.
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