HRCU WEEKLY UPDATES: ISSUE NO. 13 OF 2024
THE
WEEK OF 29TH APRIL TO 5TH MAY 2024
Dear
reader,
Welcome
to a new week and another edition of HRCU’s weekly updates delving into the
working environment of HRDs in Uganda and the key emerging human rights issues.
As
a tradition, in this week's update, we delve into the ever-evolving landscape
of human rights advocacy, shedding light on the challenges faced by those on
the front lines and the emerging issues that demand our attention.
As
we embark on this journey together, let's first acknowledge the unwavering
courage and resilience of human rights defenders in Uganda and worldwide.
Despite facing formidable obstacles, they persist in their tireless efforts to
promote and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals.
In the current
socio-political climate, human rights defenders confront a myriad of challenges
in their daily work. From targeted attacks and harassment to legal and
administrative hurdles, the obstacles they encounter are manifold and often
perilous. Yet, undeterred by these threats, they continue to speak truth to
power, amplifying the voices of the marginalized and vulnerable.
In the face
of these complex and interrelated challenges, solidarity and collaboration are
more critical than ever. By standing together and amplifying each other's
voices, we can effect meaningful change and advance the cause of human rights
worldwide.
Please read
in detail some of the issues that emerged last week.
THE
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM TORTURE: OTAFIIRE ORDERS ARREST OF SECURITY OFFICERS WHO
TORTURED MUKONO LEADERS
Internal
Affairs Minister Gen Otafiire Kahinda last week ordered the arrest of police
who assaulted local leaders in Mukono during an operation to 'curb' mob justice
in the district.
Otafiire
instructed Kampala Metropolitan East Regional Police commander Joab Wabwiire to
effect the arrests, saying whether guilty or not, security is not supposed to
assault suspects. The directive follows joint security operations conducted in
Katoogo parish, Nama sub-county.
One
of the operations held on April 13, led to the arrest of 29 residents including
four village chairpersons and two sub-county councillors for allegedly inciting
mob justice against people suspected to belong to a gang of robbers targeting
boda-boda riders in the area.
Three
boda-boda riders had been killed within a space of two months, and to counter
the crimes, area residents launched a manhunt against the alleged masterminds
and killed four suspects within two days. They were identified as Denis Sanya,
Moses Wafula, Junior Masiga, and Abdullah Ssemujju.
Police
arrested the alleged ringleaders of mob justice among them chairpersons and two
school children. Those arrested were identified as Abdu Mukimba, Deo Kiggundu,
Lule Mpeera, and Venseyo Byekwaso. The school children were identified as
Reagan Nviri, 17, and Dickson Kiyaga, 18 from Fairland Secondary School.
According
to the RPC, the arrested people were identified using the video clips recorded
and circulated on social media during the mob justice which happened in the area.
But the leaders say that they were falsely accused and assaulted during their
arrest by men in army and police uniforms.
CLIMATE JUSTICE AND DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENT: CSOS
LAUNCH CLIMATE JUSTICE WEEK OF ACTION
A
coalition of civil society organizations has joined forces to launch the
Climate Justice Week of Action, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at mobilizing
Ugandans and other stakeholders to advocate for climate justice and drive
tangible change.
The
climate Justice week of Action will run from April 29th to May 17, 2024. The
coalition comprises organizations such as ActionAid International Uganda
(AAIU), PELUM Uganda, Vijana Corps, COTA, and MEMPROW.
During
the whole week, these organizations will spearhead a nationwide campaign to
raise awareness, spark action, and push for policy changes that address the
structural causes of climate change.
“We
believe that it’s not just about adaptation, it’s also about justice. Climate
change is about justice, so to end poverty, we must address the causes,
especially the structural causes of climate change, and that involves justice
especially to the poor people and therefore our work links the local efforts
from the grassroots communities to ensure that we’re having the right policies
and strategies accompanied by finances because climate justice is all about
finances, but also linking them at the global stage,” Xavier Ejoyi, the Country
Director of AAIU
During
a press conference in Ntinda, Ejoyi further noted that a substantial amount of
money is being invested in the wrong direction, supporting the causes of
climate change rather than the solutions.
Source:
https://capitalradio.co.ug/news/latest/2024-05-03-csos-launch-climate-justice-week-of-action/
WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY: PARLIAMENT DECRIES HARASSMENT OF
JOURNALISTS
On
May 3, Uganda joined the global community in celebrating World Press Freedom
Day. Established by the United Nations General Assembly, the day serves as a
reminder of the importance of a free press and the responsibility of
governments to uphold freedom of expression. This right is enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Speaker
of Parliament, Anita Among during plenary led the commemoration. She
acknowledged that Article 29 of Uganda's Constitution guarantees freedom of
expression, but emphasized the need for journalists to ensure it's not abused.
This suggests a potential concern about the content being produced by the
media.
Ms. Among further highlighted that these principles align with the 1995 Constitution, indicating a legal framework for press freedom within the country. However, her statement left room for interpretation on how this framework is being implemented.
The
Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, used the occasion to raise concerns
about the working conditions faced by journalists in Uganda. He pointed out the
financial hardships journalists endure due to poor pay by media houses. This
highlights a potential economic pressure that could impact journalistic
independence.
Source:
https://www.pulse.ug/news/parliament-decries-harassment-of-journalists/86ec0dc
LABOUR RIGHTS AND EMPLOYMENT: OVER 70% OF UGANDAN WORKERS
LACK LEGAL CONTRACTS – WORKERS’ MP
Workers’
representative in Parliament, Hon. Arinaitwe Rwakajara, raised concerns about
the employment conditions in Uganda, stating that over 70 per cent of workers
are employed without legal contracts to safeguard their rights at work.
According
to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Labour Force, Employment and Earnings
report for 2023, only 38 per cent of Ugandan workers are employed in positions
that match their qualifications; the remainder take any available job to
survive.
Furthermore,
he pointed out that 29 per cent of bosses in informal sector enterprises lack
previous work experience. “They have never worked anywhere and don’t know how
to engage and relate with workers. Yet these are the groups that employ most
people in Uganda,” he said.
Evelyn
Anite, the state minister for Investment and Privatization, also spoke on the
subject, reflecting on her commitment to industrialization in Uganda as a means
of job creation for youths.
“But
speaking to over 50 workers’ unions in Uganda today, I realized that I need to
add protecting workers’ rights such as health benefits, decent wages, and
social security benefits to my list of passions,” she stated.
REGIONAL
CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL FACTORS: KENYA: PRESIDENT RUTO
ORDERS EVACUATIONS AFTER DEADLY FLOODS
Kenyan
President William Ruto on Tuesday deployed the military to evacuate everyone
living in flood-prone areas in a nation where 171 people have been killed since
March by torrential rains.
Seasonal
rains, amplified by the El Nino weather pattern, have devastated the East
African nation, with floodwaters engulfing villages and threatening to unleash
even more damage in the weeks to come.
In
the worst incident, which killed nearly 50 villagers, a makeshift dam burst in
the Rift Valley before dawn Monday, sending a torrent of water and mud gushing
down a hill and swallowing everything in its path. The tragedy in Kamuchiri
village, Nakuru county, was the deadliest episode in the country since the
start of the March-May rainy season.
Ruto,
who visited the victims of the Kamuchiri deluge after chairing a Cabinet
meeting in Nairobi, said his government had drawn up a map of neighbourhoods at
risk of flooding.
"The
military has been mobilized, the national youth service has been mobilized, all
security agencies have been mobilized to assist citizens in such areas to
evacuate to avoid any dangers of loss of lives," he said.
People
living in the affected areas will have 48 hours to move, he said.
PRESS FREEDOM: BURKINA FASO SUSPENDS MORE FOREIGN MEDIA
OVER HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
Burkina
Faso suspended several more international news organizations, some of them for
an indefinite period, over their coverage of a report accusing the army of
extrajudicial killings, its communications regulator said.
This
followed similar action last week, when Burkina Faso temporarily suspended the
programs of Voice of America and BBC/Africa following the broadcast of news
stories about a Human Rights Watch report accusing the Burkinabe army of abuses
against civilian populations.
Among
those named in the weekend order were French Newspapers Le Monde, Ouest-France,
British publication The Guardian, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and French
broadcaster TV5 Monde, the Superior Council of Communication (CSC) said.
TV5
Monde's broadcasts would be suspended for two weeks, while access to its
website would be blocked, the junta-led West African country's communications
council said.
The
websites of Deutsche Welle, Le Monde and Ouest-France, The Guardian and African
agencies APA and Ecofin have also been blocked until further notice, the CSC
said.
Reuters
was not able to immediately reach the media groups for comment. On Saturday,
Burkinabe government spokesperson Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo rejected
HRW's allegations as "peremptory" and denied that the authorities
were unwilling to look into the alleged atrocities.
"The
killings ... have led to the opening of a judicial investigation,"
Ouedraogo told Reuters, citing a March 1 statement by a regional prosecutor.
On
Thursday last week, the CSC on Thursday ordered the immediate halt of the
rebroadcasts and suspension of the programs of VOA and BBC/Africa for two
weeks. Access to the websites and digital platforms of BBC, VOA and Human
Rights Watch was also suspended within Burkina Faso.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE
PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS HEAT UP IN U.S. DESPITE CRACKDOWNS
Protests
against Israel’s military actions in Gaza intensified across multiple American
universities for over a week, calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza
Strip as well as the cessation of U.S. military aid to Israel.
The
growing protests underscored latest escalations in the Israel-Palestine
conflict, which, coupled with the Biden administration’s doubles down on Israel
support, have fueled anti-war sentiments within the United States, with public
dissatisfaction with the government mounting rapidly.
However,
what faces the almost peaceful protests are tough measures from the
universities and local authorities, with over 700 individuals having been
arrested so far.
On
April 17, student protesters opposed to Israel’s war in Gaza have camped out on
the Columbia University campus, calling for the university to financially
divest from companies and institutions that “profit from Israeli apartheid,
genocide and occupation in Palestine.”
In
just 10 days, universities across more than 30 states in the United States have
been swept by waves of protests. As reported by Bloomberg, as of Friday, there
are at least 50 sit-ins at colleges across the country, spanning from Ivy
League institutions to state schools nationwide.
Source:
https://www.independent.co.ug/pro-palestine-protests-heat-up-in-u-s-despite-crackdowns/
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
1.
Hon.
Otafiire move to order the arrest of security officers accused of torturing
Mukono leaders is a significant step towards ensuring accountability and
upholding the right to freedom from torture. It's essential for authorities to
take swift and decisive action in such cases to demonstrate that human rights
violations will not be tolerated. This sends a strong message about the
importance of respecting human rights and the rule of law within security
forces.
2.
The
launch of a Climate Justice Week of Action by CSOs in Uganda indicates a
concerted effort to address climate change issues from a justice perspective.
Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable communities and
exacerbates existing inequalities. Organizing this week of action, CSOs are
likely advocating for policies and actions that prioritize climate justice,
including mitigation measures, adaptation strategies, and support for impacted
communities. It's a commendable initiative that highlights the urgency of
addressing climate change through a lens of equity and social justice.
3.
Parliament's
condemnation of the harassment of journalists during this year’s World Press
Freedom commemoration, underscores the importance of protecting freedom of the
press. Journalists play a crucial role in holding power to account and
informing the public. When they face harassment or intimidation, it threatens
not only their individual rights but also the broader principles of democracy
and transparency. It's encouraging to see Parliament taking a stand on this
issue, hopefully leading to concrete measures to safeguard press freedom and
ensure journalists can work without fear of reprisal.
4.
The
statistic shared by the Workers' MP about over 70% of Ugandan workers lacking
legal contracts highlights a significant issue regarding labor rights and
employment conditions in the country. Legal contracts play a crucial role in
protecting workers' rights, ensuring fair compensation, and providing clarity
about job expectations. The lack of formal contracts leaves workers vulnerable
to exploitation, arbitrary treatment, and difficulty in seeking recourse for
grievances. Addressing this issue is vital for promoting decent work and
upholding labor standards in Uganda. It calls for concerted efforts from both
the government and employers to enforce labour laws and ensure that all workers
have access to legal employment contracts.
5.
The
suspension of more foreign media outlets by Burkina Faso over a human rights
report raises concerns about press freedom and government censorship. While
governments have the right to regulate media within their borders, such actions
can be seen as attempts to suppress dissenting voices and limit access to
information. Press freedom is a fundamental aspect of democracy, allowing for
transparency and accountability. Any restrictions on media should be justified
by clear and legitimate reasons, and efforts should be made to ensure that
journalists can operate freely and without fear of reprisal.
Thank
you for reading. Happy new week.
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