By Odongo Lango
The news of the World Bank halting all loans to Uganda is making news waves around the country. But this is much ado about nothing. Let me explain why this sanction over the passing of the Antihomosexuality Act, 2023 (AHA, 2023) is inconsequential.
I will start by giving you three examples of countries that had been under more stringent sanctions regimes but remained largely unscathed: Cuba, Zimbabwe and North Korea. In Zimbabwe, the sanctions have been in place for 20 years. It didn’t succeed in dislodging ZANU-PF from power. The current President, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa nicknamed the Crocodile, took over from Robert Mugabe, and the country moved on successfully.
Secondly, don’t imagine that Uganda is bereft of options to arm twist the West. Uganda knows the West’s soft underbelly in Africa. Uganda is currently the guarantor of peace and security in war-torn Somalia. Uganda may decide to blindside the arrogant West and withdraw from Somalia suddenly and the Al Shabab will overrun Mogadishu in 2 days sowing mayhem in the shipping lanes through piracy and terrorism. Who wants that?
Thirdly, Uganda has important friends in Africa and around the World. I am sure you have heard about the upcoming BRICS Bank. There are other alternative lending institutions such as the African Development Bank (ADB) and others that Uganda can turn to.
Lastly for now, to divulge one of Uganda’s poorly kept secrets, do you know the number of countries whose regimes are being propped by Uganda and the amount of dollars they remit to Uganda for this service?
_The writer hails from Minakulu in Oyam District_