The government of Uganda through the Foreign Affairs ministry has written to the office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights indicating that they would not renew their contract henceforth, asking them to close office.
The UN High Commission for Human Rights office has been at the forefront of condemning different incidents of human rights violations in the country which erupted before, during and after the 2021 presidential elections.
“…given the strong government commitment to the promotion and protection of Human Rights, the prevailing peace throughout the country, coupled with strong National Human Rights Institutions and a vibrant civil society -with the capacity to monitor the promotions and protection of human rights throughout the country, the ministry wishes to convey the government ‘s decision not to renew the mandate of the OHCHR country office in Uganda beyond the current term in accordance with article 68 of the host country agreement between the government of the republic of Uganda signed on February 9, 2029,” in part read a February 3, 2023 letter.
The OHCHR was established in Kampala, Uganda in 2006 with the initial mandate to focus on the human rights situation in the conflict-affected areas of Northern and North-Eastern Uganda.
The contract was renewed in 2009 and later in 2020.
Mr Benard Mwine, communications officer of OHCHR confirmed to this publication that there have been negotiations ongoing about the renewal of the contract but he said that he was not privy to the most current information.
“I have seen things on social media but I dont know because my country’s representative has not yet told me anything. I am sure that our contract ends this February but I dont know whether it has been renewed or not,” Mr Mwine said in a telephone interview.
Efforts to speak to officials from the Foreign Affairs office were futile as all calls to their known phone numbers went unanswered and messages were not responded to.
Government of Uganda came under fire in 2021 journalists were brutalised at the UHCHR offices when opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine was delivering a petition on human rights violations towards his supporters.
At the time he indicated that over 1000 of his supporters had been abducted by state security and tortured. On January 4, 2023, the OHCHR wrote to the government of Uganda indicating that they wanted their contract to be renewed.
