
ULS Statement on the Harassment and Intimidation of Lawyers (10.03.2016)



Today it is first Thursday when many people stay home in solidarity to Dr. Kizza Besigye’s house arrest and the stealing of the votes on 18th Feburary 2016. The Police can’t handle that people are staying home and not talking. They can’t gather evidence and find out who really is opposition to harass. Therefore the CP of the Police said this to the media! And he had to use Public Order Management Act (POMA) the bill who is more used in Uganda then the Constitution to give the Police right to whatever they want.
“These demonstrations are deemed illegal because they are not authorized by Police as required under the Public Order Management Act, due to the potential of culminating into riots across the city; including arson, looting of properties, destruction and vandalism, and violent clashes between Police and rock throwing protesters. It is on record during the last such unlawful protests that several businesses reported damage, buildings destroyed, vehicles vandalized and injuries sustained,” says Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson” (Afunah, 2016).
That not going to work is illegal and not authorized from the Police is amazing. That the Police can state that you are making arson and potentially destroying property by not going to work is flamboyant at best.
Take look here:
Eyewitness: “Time check. 9:00 am I am at home i mean staying at home. The thought rung in my mind..go out and access the situation and find out the public response towards call for stay at home. Here i took a 5 minute walk to Kitintale taxi stage. This is one of the busiest stages in Kampala”
And if the police has issues with black or blue t-shirts while walking to work, it proves their partisanship and really, really foolish to demolish this way of showing their agony in public. The Police might not gotten a petition or form filled in with the planned demonstration, but the issue is that if they had filled it in, they would not been accepted. They have themselves aggressively preventative arrests of FDC and GO-Forward activists/officials/agents. Therefore the initial activities from the Police is not giving justice, but securing the Presidency and the elite of NRM. Not caring about democratic actions as they have sieged the home of Dr. Kizza Besigye since before the Election Day, the way the Police has attacked the Najjankumbi Headquarter have been raided twice. So if the Police expected that the FDC would comply with their rules now, it would be strange as they themselves has no regards for laws or regulations as they attack the FDC and Go-Forward by any means since the 18th of February.
The Demonstration of the FDC and their supporters is peaceful defiance and defying the institutions and businesses that supply funding to the NRM-Regime. They do not say that people should stay home if they fear of losing their job! It is a demonstration of character as they will defy the regime by peaceful means. The destruction and vandalism is more the way of the Police and Army as they hurt and kill. While the FDC want to wear a shirt and stop using MTN. If that is hard for Police to understand, I understand that as they have shown that they only understand violence, as they create it or harass the public. The Police cannot harass the public if they stay in their own home. They are allowed not to listen to Bebe Cool or Dr. Jose Chameleone or anybody else who supported President Museveni during his campaigning. They can listen to Bobi Wine or Lucky Dube if they want to, with that should cause tension. As much as staying home is a way of showing disaffection, if you couldn’t do that; than the public could do that through clothing as a sign of defying the regime; both of them are is soft and peaceful ways of demonstrations, not making the violence and creating vandalism.
So Uganda Police I do not know what you do in your homes if that is violent or vandalism, but that is up to you, and if the public is wearing something dangerous by wearing blue or black. Than you should start to wear that yourself since the Police are often the most dangerous, as you throw tear-gas, live-bullets and other aggressive behavior towards the people. And telling people that they are breaking the “Public Order” by staying home or even wearing some other clothing is just unserious, even if the FDC and the FDC NEC didn’t send a form displaying the articles and decisions to demonstrate peacefully in the country.

The actions of Rukungiri where shops have been closed in solidarity of the FDC and “Free My vote” campaign; the shop owners are now being arrested and detained by the Police; So the Police have now lawful power to tell if the stores can be open and closed. By the assumption of the public display arresting Mr. Batuma and Mr. Sonko of Sonko Electronics in Rukungiri who has been arrested today after their store been closed. The FDC has been informed that UPF is looking out for business-owners that closed their businesses voluntarily. Is this the proud state of Police and NRM-Regime that you order businesses to be open or be detained by government forces? Is that parts of President Museveni’s pledges and speaking of peace during the pre-election period. As nobody could create violence or unrest in the country as long as he was President, the old man with hat and his security organizations has gone to far, when they take the men who lay down the work in solidarity for a cause and then detaining them, while looking for the other ones.
The people do this without creating any of the violence and vandalism. Even if a government car got burnt by the Electoral Commission offices in Kampala, compared to the violence you created when Dr. Kizza Besigye was crossing town to go to the Makerere rally on the 15th February 2016, this here has been nothing. I am sure the Police will blame it on the opposition, even if it was the Police themselves blazing the car, even if it was just a disgruntled employee of the Electoral Commission, who hadn’t gotten his/hers pay-check.
So if the Police struggle with the sit-home demonstrations and the clothing to show allegiance with opposition, with boycotting NRM and showing public disobedience. That should be allowed and not be questioned. Peace.
Reference:
Afunah, Badru – ‘Police Warns As FDC’s Protests Begin’ (10.03.2016) link: http://news.ugo.co.ug/police-warns-fdcs-protests-begin/


This here is worrying signs in the times as people have fled their homes in Bundibugyo district, the violence that spark in Kasese, the intimidation in Kaabong amongst the Karamojong. The situation of house arrest of Dr. Kizza Besigye, the harassment of FDC officials and the FDC agents detained, and the witnesses of the Go-Forward Group in the same predicament. While the army is still heavy deployed and the police is still in anti-riot gear. The FDC headquarter in Najjankumbi has been raided and staff been detained to take Declaration Results Forms. That is the main reasons for the troubles of Go-Forward and FDC.
The worrying is the escalation with a rebel group official starting to attack President Museveni under their leader “Maii Moto” went and attacked the Police Station in Kapchorwa. Even reported that the “We, Save Uganda Now” (SUN) has taken responsibility for the attack on the 5th March 2016. As even seems to be two battalions and also having UPDF deserters. That is worrying sign, because the UPDF is very professional and well-trained therefore used in operations in Somalia, DRC and Central African Republic. They have even entered South Sudan and reported that certain parts were in Burundi right after the election in 2015. Therefore that UPDF army men leaving the fold and be parts of rebel group, says enough.

This election has left lot of stones to turn as the continuation of fraud surface and the ways government has handled the elections and the aftermath. We see now the historical artifact surface after a hampered and rigged election. It is not enough how the announcement of the result happen on the 20th February from the Electoral Commission and the question of the existence of a National Talley Centre. The end game is strange and charade at the Supreme Court.
That a rebellious group as the SUN has surfaced should be worrying with mentality that the NRA came to power, as in previous times the ADF-NALU has made violence in the Rwenzori-Region and the LRA in Northern Uganda. Both of the other groups are now at other places and fought back by the UPDF, still they exist and torment of citizens in Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. They are all reactions to the regime of President Museveni. As the newly formed SUN; that SUN exists and already have created casualties in Kapchorwa. That is not a great look into the start of a new term and sworn-in. knowing that people are starting to use the same format and the same guerrilla and bush-war mentality as you did in the 1980s.

It should be worrying already with the men killed after demonstrations, the hurt men after the tear-gas and live-bullets, the detaining and the shunning level playing-field and used the government institutions to achieve yet another “victory”. Not that it is legitimate or correct as the mourning proves and the way people showed up at the rallies of the opposition and the way they was ferried to President Museveni.
There certainly things brewing who is not well established, with the arbitrary laws and creating the Crime Preventers, while mixing the powers of the army and the police in joint operations while carrying out unlawful house-arrests and detaining opposition. It is in this territory that the SUN guerrilla and rebels shows up and shoots up a Police Station in Kapchorwa. Where they pick up guns and kills a police officer. In 1981 the NRA went to Kabamba in Mubende to gain strength and secure guns and ammunition for their bush-war.

For a man who knows this tactic, for a President, who gained force in this way and created a atmosphere of invisibility and maneuvering between guerrillas and government army, while regenerating public support his cause. That must be a worry for the man who has called the people of Kampala rats for voting opposition, blaming opportunists MPs and claiming that he is the only one who can keep Uganda safe. In that picture with the recent deaths, fleeing people and the tension proves that something has occurred and a mentality has changed. As the UPDF, UPF and other security outfit has more work than claiming the P10 of the FDC is an illegal branch who should be dissolved. As they don’t carry guns or create violence. They should fear the SUN guerrillas and rebels who have been created to work against President Museveni. As much as he should not underestimate them as the President Obote did in his time and how the rippling effect it does have, and knowing the main target is to take out NRM and their President Museveni after 30 years in power.
This here is not a wished picture or something anybody wants to see, as I have before explained the similarities between the election in 1980 and even how Dr. Kizza Besigye has been worked against is similar to then Presidential Candidate in 1996 – Dr. Paul Ssemongerere. There is vicious ways of the government operations and the ways they operate has generate a ghost or a reaction that is not peaceful, even if the main opposition speaks of peaceful dis-obedience, as boycotting and not using NRM infused businesses and tax-collecting companies that gives the regime money to fuel their operations. That is decent way of doing so if they get it deliberately and get the public to eat in and take part of it. As the western nations started to shun products from South Africa when the Apartheid policy surfaced and the oppressive regime was taken the lid of. Then the public started to buy the same products from other sources instead of giving the tax-money to South African and South African producers. That is what FDC and other opposition powers are talking. In the political climate now, that is sustainable, as long as the public actually does it. Citizens who show their disregard of the ruling party and their rich elite who keeps them there; therefore the natural reaction would be to stop using MTN or other big business that serves the government right now.

The SUN is another type of reaction and their attempt and even start proves the liability and weakness in the army and the police as they could ambush the Police station. Even Police Spokesmen Fred Enaga claimed they we’re “mastermind” and this is a Police Force who prides themselves in intelligence and gathering information while detaining people preventative arrests and takes them to jail before the actions are done; as they fear people doing crime or creating chaos. As they have done ever since creating the Anti-Besigye Act or the POMA.
The SUN group uses the same device as the NRA did and already cleared one police station in the midst of the heavy deployment of army, roadblocks from central Kampala and out to Kasangati, the UPDF who supposed to keep things tight-knit and together with the police make sure no post-election happens, even as the violence hits Soroti, Kasese, Bundibugyo and now Kapchorwa. This is inflicted and notion of the intent from the government as they secure their own men and the handpicked men of the NRM, as they have ruled without to many questions since 1986. They been backed by the United States, Russia, Libya and other powers to secure a strong army and rebuild the country after bush-war. Now they are returning into the same landscape they fought to get rid of. As the Police standby while lawyers who work on a petition to question the legitimacy of the recent election is getting raided. While the evidence getting lost. This violent disregard of justice and double-standard; can fuel the men of SUN. Not that we want that, but we have to understand that.

As the killings and guerrilla warfare is not wished. But it happens when oppressive regimes and totalitarian regimes cremate the skeleton of sham elections, sham government and sham funding of government facilities, the loss of accountability and transparency; where everything is circulated amongst one man and his cadres. We can see that is the exposure and the clarity of the government institutions right now. They are all centered toward the executive and his decisions, as the IGP Kayihura has said he “follow orders” and do that without thinking. While before election Generals of the Army together with MPs said they feared going against the President Museveni. This here was put on wax and said to Daily Monitor. There was even reported that it was fear of defacing campaign-posters of him, as the poster represented the President.
When you are in this state and in the climate between people and leaders, when the MPs, Generals and IGP fear the President and would follow his command as a fear of losing the position he has “given them”. Then can have a deteriorating effect and make people kneel and speak as they want to think like the Executive, instead of building to creating a better government, as that is not important as much as clearing the state. Make sure that the state, parliament and government institutions can surely serve the Executive and not the people. The reason why the election became like it was and the excuses and tragic outcome, as the silence and the meager display of confidence in the regime; with the reaction as people tarnished Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya as he was first to congratulate President Museveni. In this sieging of the people’s will and the open stealing of ballots, has made certain bubbles to burst.

As it now seems as certain army deserters actual becomes a part of a guerrilla or militia, even an armed rebel group. That should be worry, even as it is nothing new in the history of Uganda, and the ability of UPDF to shut-down rebellion, though this time they might play it differently and the people might not celebrate the governmental army as before, because of the longevity of the bush-war that created the NRM and the longevity of President Museveni. It would be special if a guerrilla of his own trained deserters would bring him down, as he has never chosen peace or taken defeat as a leader, instead always blamed other people for his failure or opposition for destroying good policies. The SUN might be a little mosquito right now, I am sure Obote at one point didn’t take the runyankore upstart seriously, even if had been defense minister at one point, and been a part of the armed battle together with him battling Idi Amin. He was still sure together with Tanzanian army would be able with UNLA to destroy NRA. Something he didn’t as they could hide easy and move quicker than the government forces while tactically outmaneuver both other rebel forces as Dr. Kayira his Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM) and other ones. So secure the loyalty from the Baganda Kingdom and take Kampala and be sworn-in in 1986. This is something the NRM knows and should worry that they are doing the same as the men they got rid of in 1986, they even seem to have done certain murders that came to the surface in December 2015 by the shores of Lake Victoria, as the Police has not given the public any answers to the crime or given any indication of knowledge on the Christopher Aine case. And the months are rolling and the next swearing in of President Museveni together with his loyal Presidential neighbor’s and President Mugabe, as he will cling to power by any means. That means the army and police will use their guns and the tear-gas, operation to raid opposition offices, even lawyers offices and detain witnesses to keep silence on the electoral fraud that happen on the 18th February 2016.

Somewhere is Dr. Milton Obote shaking his head together with Yusuf Lule and Dr. Paolo Muwanga who did their business at one point of time in the Ugandan history. Now, this period will be historical for the disarray and measly display of arrogance from the NRM-Regime while the nature of business is shaping the results with the iron-fists, instead of democratic means or justice, as the concern of rule of law does not care for anything else the rule of power. The answer to this is the resurrecting of ghosts of the Ugandan history. Guerrilla and rebels to the government and their ruling; that it happens now show how deep down and little regard the government has for the people. That the Government of Uganda, President Museveni has made the people his enemy and created a big vacuum as the people feels betrayed by their Executive, this has led to people and UPDF deserters to start a rebellion and a guerrilla under the name “We, Save Uganda Now” (SUN). And the violence has been released unto police men in Kapchorwa days ago, as the Police and army, together with other political forces has created similar outcomes in Bundibugyo and Kasese. To many dies for too little as the Executive continues to suppress his own people and take them for granted. Peace.
“Amama Mbabazi addresses the media and talks about the cases of alleged police raid on his lawyers’ offices in which materials and evidence linked to the election petition were stolen. Mbabazi also briefly addresses reported cases that some of his petition witnesses have been arrested or are being harassed by police” (NTV Uganda, 2016).




NEW YORK, United States of America, March 9, 2016 —The Korean International Cooperation Agency and UNICEF in Uganda have today handed over three ambulances to the districts of Amudat, Kotido and Napak to enable pregnant women access life-saving services or health facilities quickly.
The support is part of the four-year UNICEF-KOICA partnership launched last year and focuses on strengthening the continuum of care for maternal, new-born and child health services, by addressing the three delays that are responsible for maternal and new-born deaths. The continuum of care includes integrated service delivery for mothers and children from pregnancy to child birth, immediately after childbirth and through childhood.
The handover ceremony took place at the UNICEF Moroto Zonal Offices in Moroto. UNICEF’s Representative to Uganda Ms. Aida Girma handed over the ambulances to the district leadership of Amudat, Kotido and Napak.
Maternal and new-born mortality remain a global challenge and more so, an area of concern for Uganda. Women and new-borns continue to die from preventable causes. In, Uganda, there has been a slow progress in averting maternal and new-born mortality specifically in hard-to-reach areas and among vulnerable populations living in Karamoja.
The Karamoja region still registers poor indicators. While the national maternal mortality ratio is 438 per 100,000 live births, that of Karamoja is estimated at 750 per 100,000 live births.
Uganda has a well elaborated health policy and strategies for the reduction of maternal and child mortality, such as the Reproductive Maternal New-born Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) strategy which is aligned to the National Health Sector Development Plan and the Global strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent Health. This strategy also defines high impact interventions for the reduction of maternal and new-born mortality.
However, at district level, there is need to strengthen integration of services across the continuum of care; accountability and monitoring frameworks and to effectively support coordination of high-impact and cost-effective interventions that are defined in the RMNCAH strategy.
“The ambulances provided today are timely and will address the second delay which occurs at the community level before reaching the health facility,” said Mrs. Aida Girma, UNICEF’s Representative to Uganda.
“The delays bar pregnant women from accessing life-saving services in time,” she added.
The four-year partnership, costed at USD 8,552,020 (approximately 28 billion Uganda shillings) will target more than 100,000 pregnant women, over 15,000 pregnant women presenting with labour complications, and 100,000 children under five, including new-borns.
The project is being implemented in seven districts of the Karamoja region – Abim, Amudat, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Napak and Nakapiripirit.

We, Save Uganda Now (SUN) attacked the police station at Kapchorowa just after 12:15 am and would like to state that our operation was successful beyond our expectation, and would like to thanks population for their support but our gratitude goes to the men that participated in this mission and we give thanks to the Lord our God who ensured that all our brave combatants returned safely.
Citizens we have began efforts to free our Uganda from tyranny, we all know that constitutionalism died a long time ago and was finally laid to rest on the 19th /feb/2016.may its soul not rest until constitutionalism is restored.
Here follows details of the Kapchorowa attack.
-Last Saturday two platoons of commandos, arrived at the vicinity of the station at around 10:15 pm for an attack that was supposed to be effected at 3.30 am, after positioning themselves the waited fro zero hour, their objective was to acquire arms and ammunition.
However the Lord God of Israel being on our side an opportunity availed itself just after midnight and our commander “maji moto” gave us the strike command.
Soldiers guarding the post began leaving their post at around 11:30 pm by 12;15 only 9 soldiers were left on guard we wiped them out and proceeded to our objective point we completely overwhelmed the few officers in the station, they were so confused that one officer run head on towards our strike force asking for help he thought we were UPDF we later released him (his name was LABU) we just took his gun and uniform.
Our strike force had divided themselves into three groups force A was to lead strike force, strike force 2 was for carrying the Arms/ ammunition from the armory and strike force 3 was secure the roads to and from the station and our withdrawal routes- we had 3 routes out 2 were diversionary.
We would like to categorically state that Commander Maji Moto did not lose any men in these operation, the only man reported killed at the station we found at the station being booked by the police sergeant and was got in the cross fire as we advanced to armory.
We would like to thank the Uganda army who has help us immensely by arresting and beating the local with impunity and inducing more support for our cause from the population.
Country men we acquired 35 guns and over 320 round of munitions in this single operation we also like to clarify that the police officer under arrest for allegedly assisting us is a scape goat he was picked simply because he is an FDC supporter and the spin by state media that the attack was by criminals led by one Chelimo is a lie, there is no chelimo in our force neither where they involved in this operation.
In conclusion, we released some political prisoners who had been held without charges since and before the elections most have chosen to join the struggle to save our country. Beloved men and women of Uganda the battle has began, give thanks a praise to the Lord our God.
Chairman
Save Uganda Now-SUN
supported by C4DC- Citizens for the defense of the constitution.

The government of Uganda should stop impeding access to medical abortion and reproductive health services, according to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights—a regional body charged with ensuring African states comply with their human rights obligations under regional and international human rights treaties.
The African Commission’s recommendations call for Uganda to implement the Maputo Protocol—the only treaty, at both the international and regional levels, that explicitly guarantees the right to legal abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest, and where the continued pregnancy endangers the mental and physical health or life of the woman or in cases of fatal fetal impairments.
Abortion in Uganda is legal in limited circumstances, yet approximately 85,000 women each year receive treatment for complications from unsafe abortion and an additional 65,000 women experience complications but do not seek medical treatment.
“Too many women and girls in Uganda put their health and lives at risk because the government has failed to ensure they have access to safe abortion services when they need it,” said Evelyne Opondo, regional director for Africa at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “We commend the African Commission for putting the reproductive rights of these women and girls first, and urge Uganda to expedite implementation of the Maputo Protocol and expand access safe and legal abortion.”

The Center for Reproductive Rights and Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) submitted a letter to the African Commission in October 2014 that highlighted a range of reproductive health and human rights issues including the lack of access to comprehensive contraceptive services and information, lack of access to safe abortion services and post-abortion care, high incidence of maternal deaths and injuries, discrimination against women living with HIV and AIDS, and expulsion of pregnant girls from school.
In its recommendations, the Africa Commission urges Uganda to expedite all draft bills in Parliament which have bearing on protection of women’s rights, including the Marriage and Divorce Bill which has been pending for more than 15 years. The commission also calls for the strengthening of protections for Ugandans livings with HIV and AIDS, including making amendments to the “HIV Prevention and AIDS Control Bill.” The law, which was passed in August 2014, criminalizes the transmission of HIV, a measure that allows doctors to violate patients’ confidentiality and disclose their HIV status without consent, and calls for mandatory testing for pregnant women and their partners in violation of their human rights.
“The provisions in the HIV Prevention and AIDS Control Bill are discriminatory and only deter people from accessing health services, including HIV testing,” said Moses Mulumba, Executive Director of CEHURD. “We call on the state to reconsider these provisions and promote the realization of the right to health in Uganda.”
The Center has worked extensively in Uganda on the human rights implications of lack of access to legal abortion and modern contraceptives. In November 2013, the Center, the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law released a joint report entitled The Stakes Are High: The Tragic Impact of Unsafe Abortion and Inadequate Access to Contraception in Uganda. The report documents personal stories of women impacted by the widespread and false impression that abortion is illegal in all circumstances in Uganda— when in fact it is permitted for women with life-threatening conditions and victims of sexual assault.
In 2012, the Center launched its first research report on Uganda’s laws and policies on termination of pregnancy. The report found that the laws and policies are more expansive than most believe, and Uganda has ample opportunity to increase access to safe abortion services.



