HRCU WEEKLY ANALYSIS | 23RD TO 29TH JUNE 2025
Dear Human Rights
Defender and HRCU Partner in Human Rights Work,
Welcome to this new week
where we expect to press on with our advocacy towards and for a better and
safer environment for the promotion, protection and realization of human rights
and fundamental freedoms.
HRCU calls upon all human
rights defenders and other stakeholders (both rights holders and duty bearers)
to keep on the look out and communicate any matters arising in their
communities so that possible practical solutions can be forged and applied.
Below is a compilation of
some of the updates from last week.
NATIONAL UPDATES
MUSEVENI PICKS
NOMINATION FORMS, CONFIRMS BID FOR 2026 ELECTIONS
President
Museveni has officially declared his intention to seek another term as National
Resistance Movement (NRM) national chairperson and presidential flag bearer
ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Source:
ULS PRESIDENT SSEMAKADDE WANTS JUDGE
OFF HIS CASE
Uganda
Law Society (ULS) President and prominent human rights lawyer Isaac Kimaze
Ssemakadde has petitioned the judiciary over what he calls “judicial inertia”
and persistent delays in the hearing of a civil case he filed against Mugishu
Hashim Mugisha
Source:
HOW
SECURITY FOILED SUSPECTED SUICIDE ATTACK IN KALERWE
A suspected
female suicide bomber was yesterday shot dead after she reportedly attempted to
blow herself up at kalerwe Market in kampala.
Source:
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/how-security-foiled-suspected-suicide-attack-NV_213230
HUMAN
RIGHTS COMMISSION AWARDS SHS 69.5M IN COMPENSATION TO TORTURE VICTIMS
The
Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Tribunal, sitting at it’s Hoima Regional
Office has awarded a total of 69.5 million in general damages to four
complainants who were maliciously arrested, tortured on false accusation of
murder
Source:
COURT ORDERS RELEASE OF LAWYER ERON
KIIZA'S PASSPORT FOR MEDICAL TRAVEL ABROAD
The
High Court has ordered the release of the passport of human rights lawyer, Mr
Eron Kizza’s passport to enable him travel abroad for medical treatment.
Source:
HOW POOR FUNDING IS IMPACTING REFUGEE
EDUCATION IN ADJUMANI
Dwindling humanitarian funding has
caused the suspension of school feeding programs in northern Uganda, forcing
hundreds of child refugees out of school due to hunger. Education authorities
warn the situation is worsening rapidly and urge urgent intervention to prevent
a deeper crisis.
Source:
REGIONAL UPDATES
TEAR
GAS AND TENSION AS KENYA MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF GENZ PROTEST MOVEMENT
Police
in Kenya have fired tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters who flooded
the streets of Nairobi and other major towns, marking the first anniversary of
the deadly 2024 anti-government demonstrations.
Source:
SOUTH
AFRICA LAUNCHES VACCINATION DRIVE TO COMBAT FOOT-AND MOUTH DISEASE OUTBREAK
South Africa has launched a nationwide
livestock vaccination program to curb a growing outbreak of foot-and-mouth
disease, which has hit one of the country’s largest beef producers and
disrupted the meat industry.
Source:
ANGOLA’S LOURENCO TELLS FROM AID TO INVESTMENT U.S:
SHIFT
It is time to replace the logic of aid with the
logic of ambition and private investment, Angolan President Joao Lourenço said in the opening speech of the
17th U.S-Africa Business Summit on Monday.
Source:
https://www.africanews.com/2025/06/24/angolas-lourenco-tells-us-shift-from-aid-to-investment/
INTERNATIONAL UPDTES
AFTER DEADLY STRIKES, TRUMP CALLS FOR
NO VIOLATION OF ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE
Us
President Donald Trump declared ceasefire between Israel and Iran to be “ now
in effect” , just hours after Iran launched a missile attack that killed four
people in Beersheba, Israel.
Source:
UN URGES RENEWED POLITICAL AND CLIMATE
ACTION IN LIBYA AMID HUMANITARIAN AND GOVERNANCE CRISES
The United Nations has renewed calls
for coordinated international efforts to support Libya’s political transition
and address mounting humanitarian and climate-related challenges.
Source:
WITCH-HUNT:
TRUMP CALLS FOR CANCELLATION OF NETANYAHU’S CORRUPTION TRIAL
United States President Donald Trump
has called for Israel to cancel the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, or grant him a pardon, describing the case against the Israeli
leader as a “witch-hunt”.
Source:
WEEK'S ANALYSIS
1. Political tension keeps rising by day in Uganda as candidates
continue to get nominated and confirmed to seek election to different offices
come 2026 general elections. Seeing President Museveni too, picking and signing
his nomination forms and making promises for to transform Uganda in the next
five years paints a picture that the campaign and season ahead could be tense
as more people come up to vie for the highest political office in the country.
It may be recalled that the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 was
amended in 2017 to remove the age limit for the President https://www.independent.co.ug/museveni-signs-bill-removing-uganda-presidential-age-limits/
2. The awards by Uganda Human Rights
Commission for of Shs69.5
million to torture victims is an affirmation of the state’s duty under Articles 52 and 53 of the Constitution
of the Republic of Uganda which mandates UHRC to investigate human rights
violations and award appropriate redress, further reinforced by the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture
Act, 2012, and Uganda’s obligations under the United Nations Convention Against
Torture (UNCAT). The
right to freedom from torture, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment is
nonderogable and therefore, under no circumstance should anyone be subjected to
torture. Lessons must be drawn and action always taken to ensure that victims and
survivors of torture are adequately and expeditiously compensated.
3. The continued drop in donor funding across Uganda and elsewhere in
the world poses a threat to many people who had been beneficiaries of such
funding. The State has obligations towards citizens and all persons under its
care in the country. It therefore means that where the State fails to meet its
responsibility, there must be mechanisms in place to ensure that people
continue to enjoy their rights and fundamental freedoms. Efforts must be
enhanced to see those different categories of people, including refugees,
access basic needs and have their rights, including the right to education,
realized.
4. Recent events across Africa highlight the complex interplay between civic activism, public health, and economic diplomacy shaped by legal frameworks that guide state responses and protect citizen rights. In Kenya, the anniversary of the #EndSARS-inspired Gen Z protest movement—marked by tear gas and heightened tensions—underscores ongoing struggles over freedom of assembly and expression as guaranteed under Articles 33 and 37 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010; the use of tear gas raises critical questions about proportionality under Kenya’s Public Order Act and international human rights law, reflected in rulings like Njoya v. Attorney General (2014).
5. President Joao Lourenço’s (Angola) call for shifting from aid dependency to investment with the U.S. signals a strategic move toward sustainable development aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This requires legal reforms to foster a conducive investment climate and good governance. Together, these developments illustrate Africa’s evolving challenges in relation to balancing state authority and civic freedoms, protecting public health amid economic concerns, and pursuing economic autonomy through law and diplomacy—highlighting the essential role of legal frameworks as both instruments of governance and protectors of rights.
6. Recent geopolitical tensions and humanitarian crises highlight the critical intersection of international law, political accountability, and human rights protections. Following deadly strikes between Israel and Iran, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for respect of the ceasefire underscores the importance of adherence to international humanitarian law, particularly the principles enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, which regulate conduct during armed conflicts to protect civilians and prohibit violations such as indiscriminate attacks.
7. The United Nations’ urgent appeal for renewed political and climate action in Libya reflects the imperative of international cooperation under the UN Charter, as well as obligations under international human rights and environmental law to address governance failures and severe humanitarian conditions, consistent with principles outlined in the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine.
THANK YOU FOR READING. WE WILL KEEP IN TOUCH.
Comments
Post a Comment