Uganda. Museveni defends Uganda’s departure from the UN human rights office as “unnecessary”

Madrid 2 (Europe Press)

This was expressed in a press conference with the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, in Pretoria, broadcast by the SABC series. “We have the Uganda Human Rights Commission, which is mandated by the constitution,” he said, suggesting that other countries may need the High Commissioner’s presence more than Uganda does.

“Having others who are not part of our constitutional system is unnecessary first and foremost, but also a distraction. Instead of going to report where action can be taken, they go to the UN. What can the UN do in Uganda?” They don’t have executive powers.”

Exactly a month ago, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that it would not renew the presence of the High Commissioner, which expires at the end of March, through a letter informing the United Nations that the country has managed to develop the necessary capacities to monitor and promote human rights within its territory.

However, opposition and freedom groups called the Ugandan government’s decision “shameful” and part of a move to silence complaints about various abuses by the authorities, such as torture, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests.

Despite this declaration, the United Nations confirmed that talks with the government are continuing to try to convince it of the need for the presence of the High Commissioner in Uganda.

The Office of the High Commissioner was established in Kampala, the capital, in 2006, and initially focused on the situation in the areas affected by internal conflict in the north and north-east of the country, although after three years the circle of its activities was expanded to include the entire territory.