HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO. 2 OF 2024
THE
WEEK OF 15TH TO 21ST JANUARY 2024
Dear reader,
good day! Welcome to this week!
As
we embark on another enlightening week together, HRCU is thrilled to extend a
warm welcome to all of you to our ongoing conversation on human rights and the
working environment of HRDs in Uganda. Each week, our blog serves as a platform
to explore, discuss, and advocate for the fundamental principles that underpin
the dignity and equality of every individual.
It
is with profound sadness that we extend our deepest condolences on the untimely
passing of Hon. Cecilia Ogwal. In this
difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends,
colleagues, and constituents as they navigate through the pain of this loss.
Some
of the stories that were captured during the week included:
MP CECILIA OGWAL IS DEAD
Dokolo
District Women’s Constituency Member of Parliament and former Miss Uganda,
Cecilia Ogwal passed away last week. Media reports indicate that the 77-year-old
Ogwal succumbed to cancer at a hospital in India.
“It
is with a heavy heart and pain that I announce the passing of our Mother,
Mentor and role model Imat Cecilia Atim Ogwal, the Honourable Member
representing the Women of Dokolo District. I send my sincere sympathies to her
dear husband and the family, friends, the people of Lango and colleagues! May
her soul find eternal rest,” Among posted on her official X platform.
Ogwal
served as the Acting Secretary General of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) from
1985 to 1992. The fallen politician was part of the Constituent Assembly which
drafted the 1995 Constitution.
Ogwal
lost her Lira Municipality seat to Jimmy Akena during the 2006 parliamentary
elections. In 2011, she won the Women’s Representative seat for Dokolo District
on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party ticket.
Source:
https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/mp-cecilia-ogwal-is-dead.html
NAM DELEGATES URGED TO
ADDRESS DEBT BURDEN
The
Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) said there are serious challenges that affect
member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that deserve urgent attention.
Speaking
to journalists at the party’s head offices in Kampala, the head of media and
communication at UPC, Mr. Faizo Muzeyi, said the heavy debt burden has enslaved
NAM member states since the Arab-Israel war of the early 1970s and this has
reduced the capacity to invest in economies and trade as well as create viable
opportunities for the youthful population.
He
urged the NAM delegates convening at Speak Resort Munyonyo, to come up with
practical solutions to the debt trap.
Muzeyi
also wants the delegates to pay attention to food insecurity, climate change,
poor health, unemployment, migration, and terrorism challenges affecting member
states.
Meanwhile,
UPC demands focus and decisiveness from NAM in order to restore hope for a
better future.
Mr
Muzeyi says this demands massive investments in innovation and technology that
can boast large-scale production as well as heavy reliance on local raw
materials.
GOVT SEEKS A FURTHER SHS.6BN
FOR POST-NAM SUMMIT ACTIVITIES
After
spending over Shs.60 billion to prepare and host the ongoing Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) and the upcoming G77+China summit, the government is seeking a
further Shs.6 billion for post-summit activities over the next three years.
During
a review of the 2024/2025 Budget Framework Paper (BFP) on Tuesday, parliament's
foreign affairs committee Vice Chairperson Fred Opolot noted that no funds have
been allocated for the post-summit activities yet "the secretariats in
charge of the Non-Aligned Movement will be charged with hosting and
participating in meetings at diplomatic and technical levels, and preparing
documents in line with the outcome document among others."
He
added that part of the post-summit activities includes travelling inland and
abroad to participate in extraordinary sessions of the Council of Foreign
Ministers, and international conferences on environment, human rights, trade
and disarmament; all in Uganda’s capacity as the chair of NAM for the next
three years.
“It
is important to note that these functions have a great impact on increasing
market access for our exports, attracting foreign direct investment and the
success of international engagements and occurrences,” Opolot added.
However,
Dickisons Kateshumbwa, Sheema Municipality MP questioned why the said
activities were not provided for in the current ministry of Foreign Affairs
budget yet the NAM and G77+China events are already going on. The ministry has
been allocated Shs. 31 billion in the national budget.
ISRAEL-PALESTINE WAR TAKES CENTER
STAGE AT NAM SUMMIT
The
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, themed “Deepening Cooperation for Shared
Global Affluence,” commenced on Monday, January 15, at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
The
Israel-Palestine conflict emerged as a focal point during the summit’s official
opening. In October 2023, an armed conflict erupted in the Gaza Strip between
Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups. The hostilities began with a
surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel, the Israeli-occupied West Bank,
and the Israel-Lebanon border.
This
war has escalated significantly, resulting in over 20,000 fatalities and
numerous injuries. On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, Uganda’s Foreign Affairs
minister, Gen Jeje Odongo, is scheduled to preside over a committee meeting
addressing the Palestine issue. Participants, including 120 NAM member states,
18 observer countries, and 10 observer organizations, are expected to
deliberate and formulate their stance on the conflict.
Ambassador
Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s permanent observer to the United Nations, commended
Uganda for its support of Palestine in the conflict with Israel. He appealed to
the international community to intervene in ending human rights violations,
establishing a ceasefire, and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza’s residents.
“We
seek the complete backing of the movement in our collective endeavor to
approach the General Assembly for legislating an end to the war and realizing
the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including independence and
refugee rights,” he stated.
He
mentioned Palestine’s endorsement of South Africa’s initiative to approach the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) for advisory opinions on genocide. He
expressed anticipation for the court’s ruling, due later in the month, and the
subsequent collective analysis and decision-making based on the verdict.
Source:
https://observer.ug/news/headlines/80308-israel-palestine-war-takes-center-stage-at-nam-summit
DPP PETITIONS HIGH COURT
TO CHALLENGE PLEA-TAKING OF KATANGA'S DAUGHTERS IN NAKAWA COURT
The
High court fixed January 24 to deliver its ruling on the case in which the
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is challenging the decision by the Nakawa
Chief Magistrate's court to allow plea-taking of the suspects implicated in the
murder of businessman Henry Katanga.
The
suspects who include Katanga's two daughters; Martha Katanga Nkwanzi and
Patricia Kankwanzi are jointly charged with their mother, Molly Katanga who is
reportedly admitted for injuries she allegedly sustained during the incident.
Molly faces charges of murder which are capital in nature while her daughters
are facing charges of destroying evidence in their father's death.
The
three are further indicted alongside the family's shamba boy, George Amanyire
and a medical practitioner, Charles Otai. Both are charged with being an
accessory after the commission of murder when they allegedly assisted the widow
and her two daughters to escape punishment yet they knew the trio were liable
for an offence.
However,
according to the DPP's application which came up on Tuesday for a hearing
before justice Isaac Muwata, four of the suspects who have so far been produced
before the Nakawa court took a plea that she contends was procedurally
incorrect, illegal, improper and irregular.
REGIONAL UPDATE
UNREST ERUPTS AS COMOROS
OPPOSITION REJECTS PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
The
Comoros declared a curfew on Wednesday after security forces clashed with
protesters angered by the re-election of President Azali Assoumani in a vote
opposition leaders denounced as fraudulent.
During
the day, demonstrators ransacked a former minister's house and set it on fire,
as others tried to block roads in the capital. Police responded with tear gas and
arrests, AFP reporters saw.
In
the evening, citing "public necessity", the government ordered a
night curfew.
The
measure was to start at 10:00 pm and last until 6:00 am on Thursday nationwide,
except for Moroni where it kicked in a few hours earlier, the interior ministry
said.
Election
officials said on Tuesday that Assoumani had won 62.97 percent of the vote in
Sunday's ballot.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE
LANDSLIDE BURIES 47
PEOPLE IN CHINA’S SOUTHWESTERN YUNNAN PROVINCE
Rescue
efforts are under way in southwestern China’s mountainous Yunnan province after
at least 47 people were buried in a landslide.
State
news agency Xinhua reported that the disaster struck just before 6am (22:00 GMT
on Sunday) in the village of Liangshui, beneath the town of Tangfang in
Zhenxiong County.
Authorities
said rescuers were trying to find victims buried in 18 separate houses. Xinhua
showed footage of men in orange jumpsuits and hard hats picking their way through
piles of concrete blocks and twisted steel. There was snow on some of the
rubble and on buildings that were still standing.
The
cause of the landslide was not immediately known.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
1.
High
levels of debt require significant resources to service the interest payments
and repay the principal amount. This can lead to a substantial portion of the
government's budget being allocated to debt servicing, potentially limiting
funds available for essential public services such as education, healthcare,
and infrastructure development.
2.
Countries
like Uganda highly benefit from hosting and holding chairmanship of the NAM summit
for several reasons such as diplomatic, economic, and strategic significance. Furthermore,
it provides an opportunity to strengthen international relations, showcase
national achievements, and play a role in propelling dialogue and cooperation
on the global stage.
3.
A
fair hearing reinforces the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Every
individual accused of a crime, including murder, has the right to be treated as
innocent until the prosecution proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This principle protects individuals from arbitrary or wrongful conviction. In addition,
the need for a fair hearing in murder cases is rooted in principles of justice,
human rights, and the rule of law. It is essential for protecting the rights of
the accused and maintaining public trust in the legal system.
4.
Human
rights defenders (HRDs) in Uganda play a vital role in advocating for human
rights, promoting social justice, and holding both state and non-state actors
accountable for their actions. Despite the challenges they face, their efforts
contribute to building a more just and rights-respecting society.
5.
Free
and fair elections are vital for the establishment and maintenance of
democratic societies. They contribute to the legitimacy of governments, ensure
representation of diverse perspectives, and foster political stability and
accountability, all of which are essential for the well-being of societies.
Thank you for reading.
Happy new week.
Comments
Post a Comment