Red Pepper (newspaper)
Encyclopedia
Red Pepper is a daily tabloid newspaper in Uganda
which began publication June 19, 2001. Deliberately mirroring the style of tabloids in other countries, the paper is known for its mix of sensationalism
, scandal, and frequent nudity. The paper has roused the ire of the Ugandan government for revealing that former foreign minister James Wapakhabulo
died of AIDS
, and publishing conspiracy theories relating to the death of Sudan
ese vice-president John Garang
in a helicopter crash.
In August 2006, Red Pepper published the first names and occupations of prominent Ugandan men whom it asserted were homosexual. This decision was sharply criticized by the campaigning group Human Rights Watch
, which said that the move could expose the men to harassment by the government, as homosexuality in Uganda remains illegal. The following month, it published a similar list of 13 women whom it claimed were lesbians. In an interview published in May 2009, the news editor of Red Pepper, Ben Byarabaha, vowed that the tabloid would continue its campaign against alleged homosexuals by publishing their names, photographs and addresses.
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
which began publication June 19, 2001. Deliberately mirroring the style of tabloids in other countries, the paper is known for its mix of sensationalism
Sensationalism
Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are over-hyped to increase viewership or readership numbers...
, scandal, and frequent nudity. The paper has roused the ire of the Ugandan government for revealing that former foreign minister James Wapakhabulo
James Wapakhabulo
James Francis Wambogo Wapakhabulo was the foreign minister of Uganda from 2001 until his death.Wapakhabulo began his career studying law at the University of East Africa . From the 1960s until its collapse in 1977, he worked as a clerk and legal draftsman with the Assembly of the East African...
died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, and publishing conspiracy theories relating to the death of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese vice-president John Garang
John Garang
John Garang de Mabior was a Sudanese politician and rebel leader. From 1983 to 2005, he led the Sudan People's Liberation Army during the Second Sudanese Civil War, and following a peace agreement he briefly served as First Vice President of Sudan from January 2005 until he died in a July 2005...
in a helicopter crash.
In August 2006, Red Pepper published the first names and occupations of prominent Ugandan men whom it asserted were homosexual. This decision was sharply criticized by the campaigning group Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, which said that the move could expose the men to harassment by the government, as homosexuality in Uganda remains illegal. The following month, it published a similar list of 13 women whom it claimed were lesbians. In an interview published in May 2009, the news editor of Red Pepper, Ben Byarabaha, vowed that the tabloid would continue its campaign against alleged homosexuals by publishing their names, photographs and addresses.