Uganda's Human Rights Crisis

 

Following on from the passing of the Public Order Management Bill (POMB), and with violent instability predicted for Uganda's future, a group of human rights representatives have been called upon in an attempt to open up rational conversation with the country's Parliament:

Uganda: Human Rights Defenders Meet with Minister of Internal Affairs:

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, met with nine human rights defenders at his offices in Kampala this morning. As the new Minister begins his work, the delegation sought to emphasise the important contribution of civil society to the country and the need to fully integrate respect for human rights into the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is hoped that the meeting will mark the start of an ongoing open and honest dialogue and working relationship. The organisations represented at the meeting were the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, the Human Rights Centre Uganda, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, Human Rights Network Uganda, Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda and Amnesty International.

A parliament already cracking under the strain of just how far to push human rights violations. What began as a simple call to kill gay people has escalated with a bill to imprison anyone talking about politics. This has set hate-monger Rebecca Kadaga on a collision course with only-marginally-less-nuts Prime Minister Mbabazi:

Mbabazi: Kadaga is in opposition:

Questions are now being asked in cabinet about the political loyalty of their own, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga. Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi used Wednesday’s cabinet meeting to label Kadaga an opposition sympathiser.

The premier accused the speaker of ganging up with the opposition on Tuesday, in an attempt to defeat the bill, criticised as a government tool to curtail freedoms of assembly and effectively gag the opposition.

That's nice, Kadaga doesn't believe in quashing freedom of assembly, only in murdering gay people. You could almost grow to like her.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Commission continue with a lengthy waffle about how appalling the POMB is. 

“I am concerned that this law is clearly aimed at obstructing the work of human rights defenders and those who legitimately wish to express their concerns with the Government,” added Ms. Sekaggya.

Yes, we know - do something about it.