Follow Up

On Thursday, Barack Obama issued a press statement expressing his condemnation of the murder of David Kato. It stated:

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of David Kato. In Uganda, David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom. The United States mourns his murder, and we recommit ourselves to David’s work."

Obviously this is encouraging; frankly I'm amazed the murder received such a high-level response in such an explicit and pro-active manner. To the best of my knowledge, none of the killings of other particularly high-profile human rights activists such as Floribert Chebeya in the DRC, Natalya Estemirova in Russia, or Betty Cariño in Mexico received presidential responses. Equally, none of these cases have resulted in any credible investigations or prosecutions. But then again, it helps to give your life for a cause that enjoys an prominent place on the liberal agenda (and I say that with the proviso that this is the only occasion on which I'll ever describe the "liberal agenda" sarcastically).

The Obama administration has long been vocally critical of the violent homophobia currently manifesting itself in Uganda and other African states including Malawi. And indeed, in Thursday's statement Obama also made reference to the fact that in the week prior to David Kato's death, "five members of the LGBT community in Honduras were also murdered". In contrast to the (justified) international hysteria about the situation in Africa, there has been almost unbroken silence on routine killings in Honduras, where gay and transgender individuals have been amongst the greatest victims of the political instability since the 2009 Coup.

I don't have any facts to back this up, but my recollection is that by the time I left Front Line in October last year, at least 30 LGBTI had been killed already in the country that year. I do remember though that around the same time there was international outcry regarding the ten media workers killed in Honduras in 2010. Obviously that too is a disaster, particularly in terms of it's impact upon press freedom, and it requires immediate attention; but the murder of three times as many individuals counts for nothing because - unlike journalists - they have been silenced by fear and societal ostracism?

I'm getting off the point. When it comes to David Kato at least, I know that I shouldn't be so cynical, but I can't help a feeling of bitterness. Obama's statement was read out during his funeral yesterday, which must have been an incredible moment for his family and friends. But that was before the pastor presiding at the service called on homosexuals to repent or "be punished by God". The dozens of LGBTI in the congregation apparently reacted angrily; the pastor was escorted from the Church; and the attendees quickly dispersed after the burial because they had been threatened with violence by neighbours. The Guardian have a good report on it here.

I can't even comment on this, to be quite honest. Simply, I am deeply saddened, and remain as uncomprehending as I was when I wrote my last post.

As is the custom in Uganda, they took him back to his home town in bury him; all things in Africa seem to come originally from "the village", and in the end, it is to the village that everyone returns. I must have passed through Namataba several times on my way to and from Jinja, but I have no recollection of the place. I imagine the women in their best gomesi; the buzzing midday heat; the matatu taxis in which they packed into to travel from Kampala. No doubt the matoke was steaming in banana leaves for the meal afterwards. I can imagine the scene as they listened to what Barack Obama had said about the man they were burying; I just have no idea what it could have meant to them.

The White House press statement on David Kato can be read in full here.