UN condemns Uganda's intensified crackdown on opposition and civil society

In a statement issued Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the Ugandan government for intensifying its suppression of dissent following the January 15 election that kept Yoweri K Musevini in power. Turk expressed dismay that authorities are increasingly targeting anyone who voices criticism, leading to arrests, enforced disappearances and reports of torture among at least 50 opposition leaders, five journalists and five human-rights defenders.

The UN Human Rights office added that ten civil-society organisations have been forcibly suspended and several media outlets temporarily closed, fostering a climate of fear and self-censorship. The remarks came after 70-year-old opposition veteran Kizza Besigye was hospitalized in an unresponsive state after collapsing during a court hearing, while still detained since November 2024. Turk urged the Ugandan government to keep the military out of civilian institutions and to allocate resources toward improving living conditions and safeguarding fundamental freedoms.