The Security forces of military police and the army have roughed up journalists as former presidential candidate Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert aka Bobi Wine delivers a petition to United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Kampala.
Earlier, security forces blocked all the roads to the Kololo-based international human rights body and allowed few people to access the offices.
In a few minutes, military surrounded the petitioners at the entrance of UN offices and ascended on to them. They beat them up and many Journalists who were filming the events as they unfolded. In the scuffle many journalists and petitioners sustained injuries.
The assaulted journalists include; Irene Abalo (Daily Monitor), John Cliff Wamala (NTV), Timothy Murungi (New Vision) and Josephine Namakumbi (NBS).
Bobi Wine wants the UN to intervene in continuous violations of human rights in the country exhibited in kidnappings, abduction and detention of the National Unity Platform-NUP supporters. He also wants the human rights body to engage state authorities to adhere to the international human rights laws and treaties of which Uganda is a signatory.
On Monday, the MP released a list of over 240 NUP supporters who were reportedly kidnapped by security agencies.
Since the launch of presidential campaigns in November last year, the country has witnessed spates of kidnappings by both armed men in civilian clothes and security personnel traveling in numberless Toyota Hiace vehicles commonly known as ‘Drones’. Most of the victims have since not been arraigned before courts of law nor released on police bond.
Bobi contends that throughout the campaign period the People of Uganda generally, and more particularly his supporters endured untold suffering, torture, degrading and inhuman treatment on the orders of Gen Museveni. He cites the dark days of 18th and 19th November 2020 which saw over 50 innocent, unarmed citizens murdered in cold blood by the police and military.
