The United States has announced that it is imposing visa restrictions on “those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Uganda”, during the election period in January and the campaign period.
President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986,;secured a sixth term in the January 14 poll with 58.6 percent of the votes. His closest challenger Bobi Wine, who secured 34.8 percent of the votes, disputed the tally and alleged fraud.
In a statement, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken noted that the election period was “neither free or fair”. He added that the Ugandan government’s actions;“represent a continued downward trajectory for the country’s democracy and respect for human rights”
“Opposition candidates were routinely harassed, arrested, and held illegally without charge. Ugandan security forces were responsible for the deaths and injuries of dozens of innocent bystanders and opposition supporters.
“The Government of Uganda must significantly improve its record and hold accountable;those responsible for flawed election conduct, violence, and intimidation.”
The statement did not however specify the people affected by the visa ban.
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Meanwhile, the Ugandan government has rejected the allegations and accused the United States of acting on “lack of information, lack of knowledge and ignorance”.
In a comment to reporters, state minister for foreign affairs, Okello Oryem intimated that “we are not going to lose sleep over this”.
Respect press freedom
The visa ban comes amid calls from the Reporters without Borders (RSF) urging President Museveni to respect press freedom in the country;after he threatened to bankrupt his country’s leading daily newspaper, “Daily Monitor”, by means of a lawsuit.
Museveni said he was bringing a legal action against the Daily Monitor;for “falsely” reporting that the Wall Street Journal had said;his “inner circle”;was;given;Chinese-made vaccines against Covid-19,;ahead of other people in Uganda.
“I have already put the case in court, Monitor I’m going to make you bankrupt;unless they apologize and lie down and say sorry, sorry. If they don’t, I really going to go for them.
“That I’m a selfish man who hid with my wife we injected ourselves when other Ugandans were at risk. That’s not Sabalwanyi, Sabalwanyi doesn’t behave like that”.
Addressing the issue, the head of RSF’s Africa desk, Arnaud Froge posited;that “the threats against this newspaper are dangerous and unworthy of a head of state”.
“These comments are all the more worrying for being;made;in a very agitated post-election context in which media and journalists have not been spared”.
Uganda has fallen 28 places in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index since 2015 and is now ranked 125th out of 180 countries. RSF noted that it has registered nearly 40 attacks against journalists since last November, including 21 physical attacks and eight arrests.
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