for a probe into election abuses and violence in Uganda, which left more than 50 people dead in the lead up to the polls last week.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (Jan 20), the European Council denounced violence reported in the pre-electoral period, including “harassment of opposition leaders, suppression of civil society actors and media, and the raiding of a domestic observers office”.
Uganda’s long-time leader President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of the Presidential Election held on January 14, securing him a sixth five-year term as president. However, many opposition candidates have rejected the results owing to election irregularities that took place, such as delays in voting in certain traditional opposition swing territories in the Kampala metropolitan, as well as theft of ballot boxes.
Meanwhile, following the declaration of results on Saturday (Jan 14), the police and military have tightened their grip on the country’s biggest opposition party, raiding its headquarters and placing its leader under house arrest.
Leader of the National Unity Party, Robert Kyagulanyi – better known as Bobi Wine – has been detained in his house by Ugandan police and military, while the authorities have also cut off his food supplies and assaulted one of his supporters who tried to visit him. He maintains the election was rigged.
“I thank all friends in Uganda and abroad who continue to stand with us until we put an end to this indignity,” he said in a tweet on Thursday.
Criticising the actions of the Ugandan authorities, the EU called on the country’s government to “respect the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful and safe assembly, including the free movement of all political actors and their supporters”.
The bloc expressed its concern regarding “the continued harassment of political actors”, and requested the Ugandan government to ensure that an impartial investigation is conducted in order to have those responsible be held accountable.
Several human rights groups have also denounced Wine’s detention and other reports of election-related abuses.
International human rights NGO, Human Rights Watch (HRW), noted that the recent Presidential Election in Uganda was characterized by widespread violence and human rights abuses, and called on the country’s authorities to “immediately end all forms of harassment and intimidation of journalists, opposition supporters, and leaders, including Robert Kyagulanyi”.
“The widespread violations of rights by government forces undermined the credibility of Uganda’s elections,” Oryem Nyeko, Africa researcher at HRW said. “The authorities should take urgent steps to ensure the impartiality of security agents during elections and hold to account those involved in abuses.”
Museveni’s senior press secretary, Don Wanyama, denies that the President was knows anything about Wine’s detention, as he refers journalists to the police, when inquired about the opposition leader’s house arrest.
“Stop Musevenising everything. Talk to the police,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United States has also criticised the reported abuses and irregularities, as Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor for President Joe Biden, described the house arrest as “deeply concerning”, while the US State Department on Saturday called for Ugandan authorities to address election “irregularities.”
