MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the political situation in Uganda

9.2.2021 - (2021/2545(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure

Nicolae Ştefănuţă, Barry Andrews, Petras Auštrevičius, Dita Charanzová, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Gheorghe, Klemen Grošelj, Bernard Guetta, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Moritz Körner, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Javier Nart, Dragoș Pîslaru, Frédérique Ries, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Ramona Strugariu, Hilde Vautmans, Malik Azmani, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Urmas Paet, Dragoş Tudorache
on behalf of the Renew Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0138/2021

B9‑0140/2021

European Parliament resolution on the political situation in Uganda

(2021/2545(RSP))

The European Parliament,

− having regard having regard to its previous resolutions on Uganda;

− having regard to the Cotonou Agreement,

− having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

− having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

− having regard to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights of 1981,

− having regard to the joint EU-Africa Strategy,

− having regard to the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals,

− having regard to the EU’s National Indicative Programme for Uganda and the 11th European Development fund,

− having regard to the Declaration of 20 January 2021 by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) on behalf of the European Union on the elections in Uganda;

− having regard to the Statement of 12 January 2021 by the VP/HR on the on the upcoming general elections in Uganda;

− having regard to the Joint local statement of 26 November 2020 initiated by the EU on the recent election-related violence in Uganda

− having regard to the statement of 8 January 2021 by the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Uganda;

− having regard to the statement of 29 December 2020 by UN experts, gravely concerned by election clampdown;

− having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure.

A. Whereas on 14 January presidential, parliamentary and local elections were held in Uganda,  amid violence and allegations of fraud, and the incumbent president, Yoweri Museven who has ruled the country since 1986, won his sixth term with 58.64% of the votes and 57% turnout;

B. Whereas the authorities have since autumn 2020 intensified repression of the political opposition ahead of the elections, security agencies arrested key opposition candidates Robert Kyagulanyi, known by his stage name Bobi Wine,  Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Lt-Gen Henry Tumukunde, disrupted their rallies and limited  media coverage of the poll;

C. Whereas President Yoweri Museveni publicly stated that 54 people were killed on 18 and 19 November 2020 in the protests and unrest that followed the arrest of the leading opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi;

D. Whereas the main opposition candidate Robert Kyagulany, had been under constant physical attacks from the security forces since he launched his presidential bid and faced house arrest by the Uganda security forces for 11 days in January, immediately after the elections;

E. Whereas on 7 January Robert Kyagulany filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing president Museveni and nine other senior officials of multiple human rights offences;

F. Whereas the EU had offered to send a small team of electoral observers, but the offer was declined; whereas the USA cancelled its observation of Uganda’s general election because most of its accreditation requests were denied;

G. Whereas the authorities have been systematically targeting civil society organisations, particularly those working on human rights and elections; whereas on 22 December 2020, Nicholas Opiyo, a leading human rights lawyer and Sakharow fellow, and four of his colleagues were arrested and detained and later falsely accused of allegations of “money laundering and related malicious acts”; whereas he was released on bail on 30 December 2020, but is still awaiting a trial;

H. Whereas the government has been cracking down on Western-linked NGOs amid allegations of plotting to destabilise Uganda ahead of the general elections, deporting people working with foreign NGOs, including the US-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) for supporting regime change, barring two other heads of foreign NGOs that have been carrying out civic education from returning to Uganda and freezing bank accounts of several reputable an well-known civil society partners on allegations of financing terrorism; whereas the implementation of important programmes with EU funding is being severely hindered;

I. Whereas in December 2020, Human Rights Network for Journalists (HNRJ) Uganda reported over 100 cases of human rights violations against journalists, including police violence, especially when they are out covering political candidates; whereas the police vowed on 30 December that only “certified journalists” will be allowed to cover the vote; whereas at the end of November, the authorities expelled three Canadian journalists;

J. Whereas on 11 January, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) condemned what it termed “the deteriorating human rights situation in Uganda” and reported numerous human rights violations, including the rights of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and participation, as well as the arbitrary deprivation of life, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture;

K. Whereas the government has been restricting internet access and started to introduce a social media tax on users buying internet data and there have been reports of blocking access to online messaging and social media platforms before the elections;

L. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has also been used as a pretext for repression, disproportionately restrict opposition gatherings and  activities;

1. Deplores that the election process was not democratic and transparent, condemns the violence, the systematic crackdown on political opposition leaders, suppression of civil society actors, human rights defenders and media, the disruption of social media platforms and internet blackouts;

2. Recalls that these acts represent a clear breach of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Uganda;

3. Expresses its concern over the continued harassment of political actors and parts of civil society; insists that the Ugandan government shall reverse the persistent use of lethal and excessive force by the security forces, arbitrary arrests and detention and attacks against opposition politicians, protesters, human rights defenders and journalists;

4. In line with Uganda’s laws, international commitments and obligations, demands justice and accountability for all victims by carrying out impartial, thorough and independent investigations into the shootings and violence perpetrated by security forces;

5. Demands the Ugandan government to immediately and unconditionally release or drop all charges of all those arrested and detained solely for participating in peaceful political assembly or exercising their right to freedom of expression and association, including the Sakharow fellow Nicholas Opiyo;

6. Asks the Ugandan government to stop weaponising and using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext for Ugandan law enforcement agencies to introduce laws and policies that violate international law and roll back human rights guarantees, including unduly restricting the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression;

7. Calls on the President Museveni and his administration to affirm the crucial role that political opposition, civil society actors, journalists and the media play in the country; calls on the authorities to lift any restrictions that may limit people’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of association;

8. Calls on the Government of Uganda to respect the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful and safe assembly, including the free movement of all political actors and their supporters;

9. Condemn in the strongest terms the Government of Uganda’s attempts to limit civil society funding, in particular by President Museveni’s order to suspend the multimillion-euro Democratic Governance Facility which is a pooled fund coordinated by EU and bilateral donors to support groups working to promote human rights, deepen democracy and improve accountability;

10. Insists that the EU and other international actors should maintain and strengthen integrated and coordinated approach on Uganda, that includes the promotion of good governance, democracy, human rights, and the strengthening of the justice system and rule of law; reiterates that sanctions against individuals and organisations responsible for human rights violations in Uganda must be adopted at the EU level under the new Magnitsky Act;

11. Reiterates that political pluralism, independent civil society and free media are a vital component of any democracy, and recalls that the systematic use of state repression and violence could fundamentally impact the EU’s future relationship with Uganda;

12. Urges for a systematic review of the EU’s ongoing sector budget support programmes, which risk being used to commit human rights abuses and target activists;

13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the European Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the ACP-EU Council, the institutions of the African Union, the East African Community (EAC), and to the President, Government and Parliament of Uganda.