Former MP Hon. Kyagulanyi yesterday petitioned the U.N. Human Rights Office over alleged violations of human rights and the prevalent abductions in recent times. President Museveni has rejected the abduction reports and says that the government is only arresting terrorists.
NUP reports that over 300 members remain missing. It is for this reason that Kyagulanyi petitioned the UNHR office noting that Ugandans have no local human rights institution to deter the violations.
However, security forces were deployed on the route to the UNHR office. These state forces were violent towards the journalists. Many of these sustained grave injuries. So far, the UNHR office has not commented on the petition for reasons of confidentiality.
The journalists had desired to cover the event of but were heavily assaulted and battered by the military. Police said that they were only dispersing uncontrolled crowds that had formed outside the office. They said that it was unfortunate that a few people sustained injuries including journalists. A Police statement indicated that they have opened an inquiry to establish the circumstances under which the victims were injured.
At least 20 journalists were injured in the attack with about four of them sustaining deep head injuries. Kyagulanyi tweeted that “Today we went to the @UNHumanRights office in Kampala to deliver a petition against the continuing abductions, torture and murder of our supporters. The military was waiting. Right outside the gater of the UN office, they attacked and beat up journalists and elected leaders!”
Among those who sustained injuries were Wamala Cliff of NTV Uganda, Timothy Mulungi of New Vision, Josephine Namakumbi of NBS and Irene Abalo of Daily Monitor. Several media houses showed discontent on social media regarding this inhumane treatment of journalists. Daily Monitor tweeted that “This is how military police terrorisedjournalists who were covering @HEBobiwine’s petition to the UNHRC earlier today…”
Needless to say, the behaviour of the military yesterday was in contravention of the Bill of Rights in our 1995 Constitution.
