UGA 003 / 1017 / OBS
108
Assets freeze /
Restriction to freedom of
association /
Harassment
Uganda
October 20, 2017
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a
partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT),
requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Uganda.
New information:
The Observatory has
been informed by reliable sources about the administrative harassment
faced by several NGOs that have challenged a constitutional amendment to lift
presidential age limit to allow President Yoweri Museveni, 73, to run for
another term in 2021.
According to the
information received, on October 4, 2017, Mr. Arthur Larok, Country Director, and Mr. Bruno Ssemaganda, Head of Finance of ActionAid Uganda (AAU)[1],
were summoned to appear before the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) on
October 6, 2017, following a search of their premises on September 20, 2017
(see background information). They were both further interrogated by the CID on
October 10, 2017, although no charges have yet been levelled against them.
On October 13, 2017, the
Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda ordered the freezing of the five accounts
held by AAU, because of the investigation the CID is conducting against the
organisation under allegations of “conspiracy to commit a felony” and “money
laundering”.
In addition, on October
11, 2017, the Ministry of Internal Affairs requested 27 NGOs to submit specific
‘financial information’ to the NGO Bureau within a week. The information
requested include bank statements of the organisations over the past three
years, annual reports clearly stating activities and sources of funds from 2014
to 2016, all bank account numbers and lists of directors and executive
directors. The list of organisations includes several NGOS engaged in human
rights, humanitarian and development work: AAU, African Field Epidemiology
Network (AFENET), Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED),
Association of Human Rights Organisations in Uganda, Be Forward Uganda,
Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU), Civil Society
Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), Development Network for Indigenous Voluntary
Associations (DENIVA), Educate Uganda, Feed the Children Uganda, Finnish
Refugee Council, Ford Foundation, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative
(FHRI), Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), Global Refuge International
Uganda, Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies (GLISS), Good Neighbours, Human
Rights Centre Uganda (HRCU), Human Rights Network (HURINET), Mercy Corps,
MIFUMI, Solidarity Uganda, Synagogue Church of All Nations, Teso
Anti-Corruption Coalition, Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF), Uganda Youth
Network (UYONET) and Uhuru Institute for Social Development.
Following the publication
of the list, on October 14, 2017, State Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr.
Obiga Kania, told the press that “in fact they (the NGOs listed) should be
closed until they submit their financial information”.
The Observatory condemn
these acts of harassment against the above-mentioned defenders and NGOs, which
occur as several of them have been critical of the constitutional amendment to
lift presidential age limit, and calls upon Ugandan authorities to ensure
immediately and unconditionally that they can carry out their legitimate human
rights activities without hindrances.
Background information[2]:
On September 20, 2017,
police raided the premises of AAU and Great Lakes Institute for Strategic
Studies (GLISS)[3]
in Kampala as well as the house of GLISS Executive Director, Mr. Godbar
Tumushabe.
Search warrants included
allegations of “illicit transfer of funds for funding unlawful activities”. AAU
premises were sealed off and several documents, electronic equipment and bank
related documents were seized from both organisations. Searches were carried
out overnight until the next day at both organisations and were supposed to
resume at AAU premises on September 25, 2017 at 10:00 am. However, to date no
further searches have taken place and AAU’s premises are no longer sealed off.
Actions requested:
Please write to the
authorities in Uganda asking them to:
Addresses:
• President
Kaguta Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, Fax: +256 (0) 414
436 102 / + 256 41 4235459 / +256 41 4344012. E-mail: museveni@starcom.co.ug / aak@statehouse.go.ug
• Mr.
Obija Kania, State Minister for Internal Affairs, Fax: + 256 414343088
• Mr. William
Byaruhanga, Attorney General, and Hon. Kahinda Otafiire, Minister of Justice
and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda, Fax: + 256 41 4250829. E-Mail: mojca@africaonline.co.ug
• Mr. Mike
Chibita, Director of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice and
Constitutional Affairs of Uganda, Fax: +256-414-258-565/341-316, Email: admin@dpp.go.ug
• Mr.
Med Kaggwa, Chairperson, Uganda Human Rights Commission, Email: uhrc@uhrc.ug Telephone: +256414348007
• Gen.
Kale Kayihura, Inspector General of Police, Telephone: +256 (0) 712 755 999
• H.E.
Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Permanent Mission of Uganda to the United Nations in
Geneva, Switzerland. Fax: + 41 22 340 70 30. Email: mission.uganda@ties.itu.int
• H.E.
Mirjam Blaak Sow, Embassy of Uganda to the EU in Brussels, Belgium. Fax: + 32
2.763.04.38. Email: ugembrus@brutele.be,
info@ugandamission-benelux.org
Please also write to the
diplomatic mission or embassy of Uganda in your respective country
***
Paris-Geneva, October 20, 2017
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal
in your reply.
The Observatory for the
Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997
by FIDH and OMCT. The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy
situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are
both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders
Mechanism implemented by international civil society.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
· Email: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
· Tel and fax FIDH: + 33
(0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
[1] ActionAid Uganda works to
foster human rights and fight poverty in the country.
[2] See The Observatory, FHRI
and Chapter Four Uganda Joint Press Release, September 25, 2017.
[3] GLISS is an independent
policy think tank actively involved in regional public policy and human rights
issues in the Great Lakes sub-region.
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