Daily Monitor
Thursday April 01 2021
LDU personnel arrest a man during demonstrations at Kasubi in Kampala on June 16, 2020. The US report accuses government of stifling dissenting voices. PHOTO/FILE
Summary
The report says although the law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, security forces often arbitrarily arrested and detained persons, especially opposition leaders, politicians, activists, demonstrators and journalists.
Brig Gen Falvia Byekwaso, the UPDF spokesperson, yesterday said the claims by the US state department are sweeping statements.
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A new report by the US State department has painted a grim picture of Uganda government’s human rights record, re-echoing what civil society and Opposition politicians have for long called targeted brutality against dissenting voices.
Kampala, Uganda – Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has called for peaceful protests, two months after Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country since 1986, was declared the winner of a disputed presidential election.
“I call upon you to rise up peacefully, unarmed and demonstrate against the regime that has oppressed us,” the singer-turned-politician, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said on Tuesday at the headquarters of his National Unity Platform in the capital, Kampala.
The 39-year-old was speaking beside a table piled high with files, which he claimed contained results forms from individual polling stations. He said based on these results, he was the real winner with 54 percent of the vote. Al Jazeera has not yet been able to verify the evidence he presented.
In 1987, a year after fighting his way to power in Uganda, Yoweri Museveni made his first visit to the White House.
“Pleasure to meet with you,” said Ronald Reagan to his beaming guest. “I know your concern and progress you’re making with regard to human rights.”
It was the beginning of a long relationship between Museveni and the United States, in which the former rebel positioned himself as a bastion of regional stability and important security partner.
But fast forward to 2021, six American presidents later, and that bond is under strain – not least because of human rights violations under Museveni’s rule.
AllAfrica.com
THE United States government has called for “independent, credible, impartial and thorough” investigations into alleged irregularities in Uganda’s presidential elections.
Washington also wants members of state security services probed for alleged abuses against Opposition candidates and civil society.
Mr Ned Price, the US Department of State spokesman, said on Tuesday that Uganda’s January 14 elections were “marred by election irregularities and abuses by government’s security services”. He did not provide specifics or evidence to substantiate the alleged anomalies.
However, Ugandan officials, including President Museveni have admitted that security forces killed at least 54 civilians in November 2020 while subduing protests sparked by the arrest of then president candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine.