David Cameron's threats over gay rights are racist - Kwame Akuffo

A Private Legal Practitioner, Kwame Akuffo, has slammed the British Prime Minister, David Cameron for his threat to withhold UK aid to governments that do not reform legislations banning homosexuality, describing it as smacking of racism.

To him, it is sad and disappointing the treatment meted out to some African states by Western countries, citing the recent interference in Libya by NATO forces as an example.

David Cameron, in a recent interview with BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, threatened to cut aid to anti-gay countries, adding that nations receiving UK aid should "adhere to proper human rights." The UK Prime Minister said he raised the issue with some of the states involved at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia.

Mr Cameron's threat though, applies only to one type of bilateral aid known as general budget support, and would not reduce the overall amount of aid to any one country.

"Britain is one of the premier aid givers in the world," Cameron said. "We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights."

But speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo show, Mr Kwame Akuffo minced no words in describing the UK PM's threat to cut aid to countries with anti-gay laws as a complete racist remark.

“The British government has extensive relationship with Saudi Arabia, a country that is involved in inhuman acts that the international community considers reprehensible yet they have not severed off relationship with them because of monetary gains and also because they sell arms to them,” he claimed.

The renowned legal practitioner urged African states to stand up against any vile or racist conduct from the West towards them, maintaining that since every country has its own peculiar beliefs and heritage, it is important to maintain one's sovereignty.

“We have to respect ourselves, I believe that this economy has enough resources that if properly managed we should be able to feed ourselves without any aid from Britain. The time has come for us Africans to rise up and protect our rights and dignity as a people…Britain obtains substantiate advantage from Africa and so if Africa stands as a whole against this oppressive conduct, Britain will not have its way…Let Africa unite on this position for once and fight these oppressive tendencies of the West,” he added.