GENEVA - UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Wednesday deplored the intensifying crackdown on the opposition and the media in Uganda ahead of next month's general election, calling on the authorities to fully respect and protect human rights before, during and after election day.
Credible reports indicate that at least 550 individuals, including members and supporters of the National Unity Platform party (NUP), have been arrested and detained since the beginning of the year. Of these, more than 300 were arrested since campaigning began in September. Many of those arrested remain in custody, facing charges ranging from public nuisance and disobedience of lawful orders to assault, obstruction, and incitement of violence.
Heavily armed security forces have been deployed at locations where the NUP party is scheduled to conduct rallies. Last week, they reportedly used live ammunition in the eastern town of Iganga, killing at least one and injuring at least three. They have also used tear gas, whips, batons, water cannon and chemical irritants among other weapons during the rallies to disperse NUP supporters, injuring many people.
"It is deeply regrettable that election campaigns have once again been marked by widespread arbitrary arrests, detentions and the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force against the opposition, as well as undue restriction of press freedom," said Türk.
"I urge Ugandan authorities to cease the use of such repressive tactics to enable Ugandans to fully and peacefully exercise their right to participate in their country's public affairs on election day, and in its aftermath."
Reports of arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as enforced disappearance, torture and other ill treatment of opposition supporters and activists have been on a steady increase over the past year, with security forces accused of using unmarked minibuses widely known as "drones" to transport people to unofficial places of detention known as "safe houses", where they are held incommunicado. Under international law, detainees should be held only in facilities officially acknowledged as places of detention, including to prevent torture.
In May, for example, the head of the military posted on X that he was holding the bodyguard of NUP's leader in his "basement". Following a public outcry, the bodyguard was later presented in court, visibly shaking and showing other signs of physical torture. It does not appear that the court reacted to such signs of torture or ill-treatment and there is no indication that a thorough investigation has been carried out into this case by the competent authorities. In another recent case, two Kenyan activists, who were arbitrarily detained in Uganda shortly after attending an opposition rally in October, were handed over to the Kenyan authorities after more than a month of incommunicado detention in what the Ugandan President called "the fridge".
Dozens of other opposition supporters are still in detention after they were arrested in connection with their political activities at the last elections more than four years ago.
"I urge the Ugandan authorities to fully and impartially investigate all allegations of enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture or ill treatment, punish those accountable and provide full reparation to the victims," said Türk.
"I also call on them to end this pattern of repression. All individuals arbitrarily deprived of liberty should be released."
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also called on the Government to uphold the right to freedom of expression, following multiple recent cases of restriction of press freedom in the country.
In October, for instance, journalists from NTV Uganda and The Daily Monitor newspaper had their accreditations to cover Parliament withdrawn apparently due to their critical reporting. And at least 32 journalists and media workers were either assaulted or had their equipment confiscated or damaged by security operatives during a parliamentary by-election in Kawempe North constituency in March.
"The Ugandan authorities must halt all violence against the media and the opposition and act fully in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law," said Türk.
