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As Uganda braces for results this weekend, wanted to share some of past research on abuses there, all of which is to say that addressing impunity and security sector reform should remain a front and center demand, no what the weekend brings.
(Note a lot of this was for HRW and I am no longer working there.) From 2007-2009, I spent significant time documenting torture, killings and unlawful detention by Uganda’s joint military and police counterterroism unit. https://www.hrw.org/report/2009/04/08/open-secret/illegal-detention-and-torture-joint-anti-terrorism-task-force-uganda
Then head of CMI accepted much of the basic report findings, many gov actors committed to justice and then... no one was held accountable.
In 2009, I documented some of the killings that occurred during the protests over the government efforts to curtail the movement of Buganda kingdom officials. So many “stray bullets” https://www.hrw.org/news/2009/10/01/uganda-investigate-use-lethal-force-during-riots
Again, despite endless promises, no one was held accountable. Same for the protests in 2011. In many of these cases the circumstances of the disproportionate use of force was blatantly obvious. Still no accountability. More here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/22/uganda-5-years-no-justice-walk-work-killings
Killings & torture by police units have also not faced accountability. In this report detailing many abuses by Rapid Response Unit, police leadership said arrests of 3 police implicated in torturing a man to death would yield justice. That never happened. https://www.hrw.org/report/2011/03/23/violence-instead-vigilance/torture-and-illegal-detention-ugandas-rapid-response
The file bounced between the magistrate and the DPP for years. The implicated police were released on bail after 6 months and there was never a trial.
And then there is Kasese Nov 2016. No investigation into the killings of well over 100 people in a profoundly underserved part of the country. Army commanders were promoted. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/10/10/uganda-no-justice-2016-kasese-massacre-security-forces
The Ugandan gov had been very quick to make mass arrests and blame civilians in the area for the deaths of police officers, and argued those deaths - many kilometers from the kingdom HQ in town - warranted the brutal assault, but never turned that scrutiny on itself.
At the time, the Ug gov argued Kasese events were subjudice and no one could even inquire as to what happened or why people were killed. A few weeks ago, the gov quietly released on bail over 100 people who had spent four years in Kitalya, on terrorism charges. Never a trial.
More here on the relationship between Kasese killings and elections in Uganda https://www.theelephant.info/features/2020/11/27/business-as-usual-the-kasese-massacre-and-power-politics-in-uganda/
Much has been said recently about US funding to Uganda, and while some helps refugees and access to health care, it’s clearly high time for a total rethink. Obviously for ALL funding going to police and military - including for trainings.
The EU as well needs to rethink its relationship with Uganda. The various efforts at sector budget support, including of the justice institutions, and turning off and on aid in the face of corruption scandals, has been a haphazard approach for years now.
Ugandans, like citizens of every country, deserve accountable gov institutions. In some contexts, if there is a gap in technical knowledge, a funded training can help, but that hasn’t been the challenge in the Ugandan security sector for years. There is no political will.
