The Government of Uganda (GoU) has rejected a request by the Geneva-based United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to renew the mandate of its office in Uganda.
The Office was established in Kampala in 2006, with the initial mandate focused on the human rights situation in the conflict-affected areas of Northern and North-Eastern Uganda. However, it was renewed in 2009 and expanded to cover the entire country and all human rights issues.
However, when the time came to extend the mandate of the Office in Uganda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala was not convinced of the need to do so. The ministry has accordingly notified the OHCHR that since Uganda is already committed to protecting human rights and has a vibrant civil society, its representation in the country is no longer necessary. Uganda says now it will deal directly with OHCHR in Geneva when the need arises.
It was at the OHCHR Kampala office that security personnel battered journalists who had gone to cover the National Unity Platform team that went to present a petition over the human rights situation in the country.
NP is still persisting on fighting the alleged human rights abuses and the Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga last week renewed calls for the release of Ugandans abducted using so-called Drones vehicles without or with changing number plates and held in ungazetted places by security forces without being brought to justice.
