US to Uganda: Perpetrators of election violence should be held accountable
United States of America has said it is deeply troubled by the reports of security force violence during the pre-election period and election irregularities during the polls.
Morgan Ortagus,the State department spokesperson in the US government said Ugandans turned out to vote in large numbers despite an environment of intimidation and fear.
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She strongly urged independent, credible, impartial, and thorough investigations into these reports about violence and those responsible be held accountable.
"We condemn the continuing attacks on political candidates and urge the government to respect their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression. We are gravely concerned by harassment of and continued threats to civil society,"Ortagus said in a statement
Following the nationwide shutdown of the Internet, she called for the immediate full restoration of Internet along with that of social media services.
"We urge all parties to reject violence and to use constitutional and legal means to address complaints. We call upon the Government of Uganda to respect freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly,"she said.
US called upon the government of Uganda to hold accountable members of the security forces responsible for violence and abuses.
"We reiterate our intention to pursue action against those responsible for the undermining of democracy and human rights in Uganda,"she said.
