Uganda Suspends LGBTQI Group for 'Operating Illegally'

Uganda's National Bureau for Non-governmental Organizations has banned Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) - a prominent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQI) rights organisation, for not having officially registered with it.

Frank Mugisha, SMUG's director said that in 2016 the country's name registration body, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau refused to approve SMUG's name - which is a requirement to register as a nongovernmental organisation. At the time the URSB said registering the name would be "undesirable and un-registrable" for a group that advocates for the rights and well-being of LGBTQI people.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the government's actions, saying it is just the latest example of harassment and restrictions against Ugandan rights groups -  especially those working on LGBTQI rights. In recent years, police have raided gay-friendly bars and shelters for homeless LGBTQI youth, and arrested activists - subjecting them to what HRW described as cruel, degrading, and inhumane treatment that can in some instances, constitute torture.