Uganda’s ongoing efforts to block opposition protests violate international law, lobby group Amnesty International says in a report released today. A Ugandan human rights campaigner warns that Uganda is in danger of becoming a police state.

By Arne Doornebal, Kampala

The report by Amnesty International (AI) reflects on the walk to work protests, which caused weeks of chaos in April and May this year. Nine people lost their lives when security forces cracked down on protestors. Amnesty describes the deaths as ‘unlawful killings’ by the security forces.

The social unrest mellowed slightly when the walk to work campaign was suspended in May, but last month the protests continued. Main opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been arrested three times within two weeks, the last time being yesterday. This morning a bloody fight took place outside Kizza Besigye’s residence between his supporters and a group of men claiming Besigye owes them money, report local media.

“This report by Amnesty is spot-on,” reacts Livingstone Sewanyana, who heads the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) in Kampala. “The space available for freedom of expression is narrowing,” he says.

Walk to work protests
According to Sewanyana, the violence during the walk to work protests was caused by the police. “All of the protests were peaceful, until the police blocked the people from walking to work,” he says.

Organisers of the protests say they walk to their workplaces out of solidarity for people who cannot afford to use public transport anymore and to protest against high food prices. Ugandan inflation rose to 30.5 percent in October, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics announced yesterday.

Three leaders of Kizza Besigye’s FDC-party are currently charged with treason over the walk to work protests. Government prosecutors allege that they intend to overthrow the government.

Besigye denies such a plot. “I want this government to go. That is not a secret. But I want it to go by lawful means,” he told RNW last week whilst under house arrest. 

Attacks on the rise
As Ugandan inflation continues to rise and the opposition vows to continue protesting, the worse of the violence may be yet to come. Uganda is working on legislation which will further control the media, with another law pending scrapping bail for anti-governmental protestors. Physical attacks against journalists are on the rise, the Amnesty report says, while 30 of them have been prosecuted in recent years.

“This is very problematic,” says Livingstone Sewanyana. “Our freedom will be further undermined. My fear is that instead of openly expressing concern, people will be silent. And then you cannot know what people think anymore. I think we are likely to see a police state emerging. It is not yet there, but the situation is degenerating. We have to be cautious.”