Human Rights Watch claimed today that Ugandan security forces invaded the offices of an opposition political party on the eve of a by-election in Omoro County, Northern Uganda, on May 26, 2022. That night and on election day, security officers battered party supporters and arbitrarily imprisoned at least 13 opposition supporters.
Following the death of Jacob Oulanyah, the parliament speaker, on March 22, a by-election was held in Omoro to fill the seat he had previously held. With 83.3 percent of the vote, the Electoral Commission pronounced Oulanyah’s son, Andrew Ojok, of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the winner.
“The abuses in Omoro reflect the same pattern of abuse against the opposition, as during all of Uganda’s recent elections, for which no one has been prosecuted,” said Oryem Nyeko, Uganda researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities need to take urgent measures to end these persistent and repressive abuses and ensure accountability.”
Authorities should ensure prompt and effective investigations into the slew of violations that characterized the by-election, and hold those found responsible accountable.
About 17 armed soldiers stormed the offices of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party in Opit, a town center 10 kilometers from the Omoro district headquarters in Lalogi sub-county, where about 50 party officials had gathered ahead of voting the next day, witnesses told Human Rights Watch. Soldiers assaulted, beaten, stole money, and confiscated documents from party officials.
Soldiers hit Rose Nyapolo in the left eye, temporarily blinding her, and took 150,000 Uganda shillings ($US40) from her bag, according to an FDC official. Nyapolo explained, “The soldiers didn’t want anyone in the office.” “They threatened to assassinate the one person who remained in the office.” “We were all dispersed.”
During the raid, at least two FDC officials were detained. The officers detained FDC general secretary Austin Lubangakene, transferred him to Opit police station for a brief period, and then drove him 40 kilometers to Gulu in a minibus dubbed the “Drone” in Uganda.
Inside the “Drone,” officers punched and kicked Lubangakene in the ribs, forced him to lie on his stomach, and pinned him to the vehicle floor with tires on his head, back, and legs.
According to Lubangakene, the soldiers would drive at a high speed for several kilometers before abruptly stopping and questioning him.
“Do you people think you’re still going to win [the by-election]?” they asked him after saying this several times. What if we told you to vote for [NRM candidate Andrew] Ojok right now?”
Armed men detained a Chua West opposition legislator, Okin Ojara, and his driver, Dan Okot, at a roadblock in Opit centre around 11 p.m., and held them briefly at the Opit police post before transporting them in a “Drone” to Gulu central police station.
After he and his driver arrived at the FDC offices in response to distress calls about the raid, Ojara was detained, according to Human Rights Watch.
Around the same time, some 20 police and military officials detained another FDC opposition leader, Stephen Okumu, as he rode his motorcycle to his home in Lakwana sub-county.
The cops held Okumu overnight at the Opit police station before releasing him without charge the next day at 5 p.m. Some of the cops informed Okumu they had been ordered to detain him, but they didn’t disclose why, according to Human Rights Watch.
The detentions, according to a police spokesperson, were made to prevent attempts to sabotage voting in Omoro on that day.
On election day morning, police apprehended additional people. As they drove away from a polling place in Orapwoyo village where they had gone to observe the voting, police and armed masked security forces in civilian clothes detained David Kalwanga Lukyamuzi, a parliament member with the main opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP); Peter Maiso, a party official; Badru Simbwa, Lukyamuzi’s personal assistant; Fahad Wezinda, Lukyamuzi’s driver; and a local guide
The officers detained them at the Lalogi police station, where they assaulted Lukyamuzi and beat Maiso, who had pleaded with the officers not to torture them. “They were squeezing my wrists and legs as if they meant to shatter them.” “I’m not feeling well even now,” Lukyamuzi said.
The officers flew Lukyamuzi to the Gulu central police station in a “Drone,” while the others were detained in Lalogi. Around 7 p.m., the five were charged with “inciting violence” and released on bond. The NUP secretary general, David Lewis Rubongoya, told Human Rights Watch that at least 60 of his election observers were detained during the voting process.
The Ugandan authorities deploy security forces to restrict political opposition in what has become a common pattern around elections. The police and military targeted opposition party leaders and supporters, journalists, protesters, and activists in the weeks leading up to the 2021 general elections, beating and arbitrarily detaining them, in many cases without charge or trial.
Despite the fact that Ugandan security forces have been accused of serious human rights violations for years, the authorities have rarely investigated the violations.
“The Ugandan authorities should immediately end all forms of harassment and intimidation of opposition supporters, members, and leaders, including releasing those detained, and dropping all bogus charges,” Nyeko said. “Instead, the authorities should respect and protect basic rights, at all times, and ensure respect for the rule of law.”
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