Offended, UN Human Rights Office Forced To Leave Uganda

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) has stated that it will close the human rights affairs office in Uganda starting this week.

All of this happened after Uganda faced a number of allegations of human rights violations, especially against opposition politicians and their supporters.

Then in February, the Ugandan government decided to close the Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights in Uganda, which drew a lot of criticism from human rights defenders.

"I regret that our offices in Uganda should be closed after 18 years, so far we have been able to cooperate with civil society, from various levels of society in Uganda, and engage with state institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights of all Ugandans," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a news release on the United Nations website, August 4.

Turk said the branch office in Kampala would stop operating from this Saturday after Uganda rejected the agreement to extend the presence of the office in the country.

He asked the Ugandan government to protect human rights defenders and journalists in the East African country.

Turk also expressed concern that most of the government's 54 non-governmental organizations two years ago had not returned to their activities.

Turk also highlighted the lack of funds from Kamala for the Uganda Human Rights Commission and asked the government to provide adequate resources so that their operations run effectively.

"Our loyal mission (Ministry of Human Rights) in protecting and promoting human rights in this country is chronically underfunded and staffed. Reports regarding political intervention in its mandate undermine its legitimacy, independence and neutral attitude," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, August 5.