Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) strongly condemns the Uganda Human Rights Commission’s (UHRC) handling of human rights violation cases in the country. This condemnation comes in the wake of recent reports regarding the torture and disappearance of National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters.
On October 10, UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya disclosed that they had concluded investigations into 18 missing NUP supporters, out of a list of 30 individuals provided by the party secretariat for investigation. Wangadya revealed that efforts to determine the whereabouts of these 18 missing individuals were unsuccessful, as they could not be located in detention facilities. She also mentioned that the NUP did not provide National Identification Numbers (NIN) to the commission, hindering the verification of their identities.
Wangadya also cited ‘uncooperative behavior’ from the next-of-kin of the missing persons as a significant challenge. Some families of the missing NUP supporters refused to cooperate with investigators, while others showed a lack of interest in assisting with the investigation.
During the investigations, the commission contacted the listed individuals or their next of kin. Some revealed that those who were arrested had been released on police bond or court bail. Only four out of the 12 individuals were willing to have their cases further investigated, with the majority declining to provide statements to the commission.
However, FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo criticized the report and demanded Wangadya’s resignation. He stated, “If you can’t locate 18 of them, you should resign.”
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FDC accused the commission of serving the government’s interests rather than those of Ugandans. They called on the UHRC to hold the government accountable for producing all political prisoners in court if they have cases to answer or securing their release. Kikonyogo added, “The Human Rights Commission is there to defend the rights of individuals, but here, the UHRC seems to function as a branch of the government, attempting to defend it.”
