A play about female sexuality and violence against women has created a controversy in Uganda with the government prohibiting its staging and threatening to arrest the organisers if they defy the order.

The Ugandan government said it would not allow staging of "The Vagina Monologues" as it was offensive and would corrupt public morals.

Nsaba Buturo, minister of state for information, told Xinhua by telephone Thursday that the cabinet had decided not to allow the play to be staged.

"We agreed that this play should not be launched in the country because the language used is vulgar and not according to the country's culture," said Buturo.

He said if the organisers did not agree to make the changes and went ahead with the play, they would be arrested and prosecuted.

"The Vagina Monologues" by American playwright Eve Ensler is based on interviews with more than 200 women about their memories and experiences of sexuality. It has been performed in several countries and has received brickbats and bouquets.

The play, organised by four non-governmental organisations, was to be staged here Saturday to raise funds for war-torn northern Uganda and to campaign to stop violence against women in the country.

After several heated meetings with the organisers, the media council said Wednesday that the play promoted illegal, unnatural sexual acts, homosexuality and prostitution and could not be staged unless some changes were made.

The organisers, however, said they could not change the contents of the play because of copyright laws.