The World Bank and U.S State Department has called for leaders in Ghana to respect the rights of LGBT people in the country or risk losing foreign aid.
In separate statements following the arrest of 21 suspected LGBT people in Ho for simply holding a meeting, the bodies have called for tolerance in Ghana.
The U.S State department says our leaders should respect fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution and not persecute people for simply expressing their freedoms.
“We urge national leaders in Ghana to uphold constitutional human rights protections and to adhere to international human rights obligations and commitments for all individuals. This includes members of the LGBTQI+ community,” a U.S. state department official said.
“We call on all Ghanaians to respect the provisions under Ghana’s Constitution that guarantee freedom of speech, expression, and peaceful assembly.” they added.
The U.S State department was reportedly responsible for about $210m in aid to Ghana in 2018/19 alone, and new President Joe Biden recently warned aid could be linked to conditions such as more tolerant treatments of sexual minorities.
The World Bank has also passed similar comments.
“We are aware of the challenging context for LGBTI people in Ghana and are watching the developments closely,” a World Bank spokesman said in a statement.
“As a member country of the World Bank Group, Ghana endorsed the Bank’s Environment and Social Framework that has clear, explicit, and mandatory requirements on inclusion and non-discrimination for World Bank financed projects.”
The World Bank also provided $150m in low and zero interest loans and grants to Ghana in the same period.
