RRIA, May 2: The U.S. Record 2005-2006 annual global report produced by the US State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour indicts the regime of Uganda dictatorship for gross human rights violations. PDF version

Uganda - There were important areas of improvement as well as significant setbacks in Uganda’s progress toward democratization in 2005. Ugandans voted to adopt a multiparty system of government in a national referendum in July. Participation in the referendum, however, was disappointingly low. This result was due, in part, to confusion over the referendum question and mixed messages from Government leaders who favored passage without embracing a multiparty system. Political parties, for the first time in 20 years, were fully authorized to participate in government and compete for power. During the same period, however, parliament removed presidential term limits under pressure from the executive. President Yoweri Museveni announced he would seek to extend his rule to 25 years by running for re-election in February 2006. Shortly after the President’s announcement, government authorities jailed Museveni’s principal challenger for the presidency, Kizza Besigye, on charges of rape, treason, terrorism, and firearms offenses. The arrest prompted two days of unrest in Kampala, which left at least one person dead. The Government also announced severe restrictions on public assembly and public expression in relation to the Besigye case. A civilian court ordered Besigye’s release from military detention on January 2, 2006, and on January 31, 2006 the Ugandan Constitutional Court ruled that a military court did not have jurisdiction to try Besigye on terrorism and firearms offenses. Museveni was reelected in peaceful elections; however, Besigye has vowed to challenge the results in court. In northern Uganda, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) killed hundreds of civilians and perpetrated horrific crimes against humanity, including the abduction, rape, and torture of women and children. Torture and lengthy pre-trial detention remained serious problems throughout the country. Corruption was a significant and growing problem, particularly in the executive branch.

The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy in Uganda promoted democratization, respect for human rights, honest and accountable Government institutions, and transparency. The strategy also combated child labor, trafficking in persons (TIP), and discrimination against women. The Ambassador and other U.S. officials regularly raised these issues in public speeches, interviews, and in meetings with national and local officials. The Ambassador also met with President Museveni and other senior officials to discuss democratization, freedom of speech, and corruption.

The United States strongly supported Ugandans’ decision to adopt a multiparty political system and helped strengthen political parties during the transition. The United States funded programs to enhance voter participation, political pluralism, and the effective administration of Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections. A U.S. program trained political parties to develop organizational structures, party constitutions, and campaign platforms. U.S. funds also sponsored national polls to measure Ugandan public opinion on different political issues and candidates. Workshops instructed political parties to use the polling data to focus outreach efforts and to improve party messages.

The United States supported the electoral process by strengthening the Electoral Commission. A U.S. program trained over 100 Electoral Commission staff. The Electoral Commission, with U.S. resources, developed more effective voter education manuals and leaflets. U.S. funds also helped support a national campaign to update and expand the voter rolls. This support included upgrading the Electoral Commission’s information technology system. The campaign successfully registered two million additional voters, provided voter ID cards, and added photographs to the voter registrar for identification purposes.

Two U.S.-funded programs contributed to voter education in the run-up to the general election. One program organized issue-based debates featuring national politicians from different political parties. Facilitators ensured that the politicians presented and debated their plans to address poverty reduction, corruption, education, and the insurgency in northern Uganda. The debates occurred in six major Ugandan cities and were broadcast on the radio. The U.S. also funded the publication of a parliamentary report card to promote transparency in government and voter scrutiny of elected leaders. The report card scored Members of Parliament on their attendance, voting record, and participation in the debates.

Strengthening the legislature remained a focus of U.S. assistance. A U.S. program organized training for all parliamentary committee clerks on their new role in a multiparty parliament. Another program worked with the parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunities to draft a bill on the rights of persons with disabilities. Four U.S.-sponsored consultative workshops gave persons with disabilities the opportunity to review and comment on the draft. The United States also co-sponsored a workshop on electoral law reform.

The United States viewed Uganda’s independent newspapers and especially its burgeoning independent FM radio industry as key institutions of Uganda’s democratization. The United States supported efforts of radio stations outside Kampala to report on issues of national and community interest. The United States also sponsors an annual radio-reporting award to encourage media professionalism and responsibility. The United States sponsored the travel of four journalists to participate in an International Visitors Leadership Program on journalism themes, including seminars on media freedom, ethics, and operations. The United States also funded programs designed to develop grassroots-level participation in Uganda’s democratization. Local NGOs representing indigenous communities and special interest groups including women, youth, disabled persons, and workers received grants to raise awareness about their political rights and interests.

The United States supported activities to strengthen the judicial system and rule of law. One program published a compendium of judicial opinions. The report provided attorneys with a valuable reference tool for court arguments. The report also provided the judiciary, law students, and human rights organizations with up-to-date developments in Ugandan law. A human rights organization received U.S. funds to petition the legal system on the alleged mistreatment and torture of detainees awaiting trial.

A major focus of U.S. strategy to protect and strengthen human rights has been to provide assistance to the victims of a brutal insurgency in northern Uganda. U.S. assistance helped fund child reception centers for children rescued from LRA captivity. Most children had suffered horrific abuse including torture, rape, and brutal forced labor. The reception centers provided psychosocial rehabilitation and facilitated the reunion of victims with their families and communities. U.S. assistance also supported several overnight shelters where children stay to be protected from LRA abduction. The United States continued to support efforts to promote a dialogue of peace and reconciliation among civilians in northern Uganda. One program organized four stakeholder meetings for cultural and religious leaders to discuss how to maintain harmony in communities where former rebels are reintegrated. The United States also sponsored a civil-military relations seminar to promote human rights awareness among Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) officers. Seminar participants, including civil society leaders and UPDF officers, discussed methods to improve human rights protection and justice.

To promote the status and rights of women, the United States funded an extensive program to train women to compete for elected positions in government. The program developed a training manual used to train more than 300 women candidates for local and national offices. The program also organized mentoring sessions between women Members of Parliament and prospective female candidates. Another U.S. program funded a women’s group in northern Uganda to promote awareness about gender-based violence and women’s rights to justice. U.S. assistance also supported efforts to promote the awareness and protection of human rights among disadvantaged or vulnerable groups including women and children affected by conflict and HIV/AIDS.

In support of religious freedom, the U.S. Embassy sponsored digital video conferences between scholars and religious leaders in the United States and Uganda to discuss the role of religious institutions and leaders in politics.

The United States funded programs to combat TIP and child labor. Ongoing U.S. assistance in northern Uganda has helped enroll 2,403 formerly abducted children in schools or vocational training. Another anti-trafficking program organized a national working group composed of Ugandan Government officials and NGO representatives. The working group supported efforts to draft a new anti-trafficking law, coordinate NGO activities to prevent trafficking, and monitor trafficking issues in Uganda. The program also sponsored training sessions for judges, prosecutors, and police on enforcing trafficking crimes. The United States funded four extensive child labor programs that rescued children from the worst forms of child labor, reunited them with their families, and provided them with informal, transitional, or vocational training. Two of the programs also targeted educational interventions for children made vulnerable by conflict or HIV/AIDS. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/shrd/2005/63944.htm