US human rights secretary wants gov’t to account for human rights violations

The United States of America (USA) ‘s Acting Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Lisa Peterson has asked the Ugandan government to account for human rights violations in the country.

Peterson is on a two-day visit to Kampala following several human rights violation complaints in the country.

On Thursday, the US official met a select group of journalists in the company of USA Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown.

Speaking at the presser, The US human rights secretary said that the Ugandan government needs to move away from saying that they do not condone human rights violations and start taking action on independent offices that abuse these rights.

She said that during her visit, she has only heard one consistent message from the people she has met, and that is a call to the government to take action.

“The Ugandan people want their rights as guaranteed and Uganda’s constitution upheld,” Peterson said.

Last week, in an interview with the Voice Of America, President Museveni said that his government does not condone torture, and said that efforts are ongoing to sensitize security officers against it.

The President was however quick to attribute acts of torture to traditional ideas and colonialism, saying that these used inhumane tactics to get information from suspects, planting a seed that still exists amongst some officers.

The envoy, in her speech, tasked the government to take practical steps to ensure that people who violate people’s human rights are independently held accountable for their actions instead of making excuses.

Peterson was also quick to note that when the US speaks out on inhumane acts, it does not mean that they think that they are perfect because no one is.

“We do not say these things because we think we are perfect, we somehow recognize that we also have room to cover in this space, but our history has taught us that democracy has to be defended if it is going to endure and become stronger,” she said.

The US Department of State said that Peterson’s trip to Uganda aims to underscore the United States’ commitment to the protection and advancement of human rights and democracy in Africa’s Great Lakes region.

Uganda remains a country of major concern to the US following several cases of human rights violations such as torture, abductions among others, which captured the attention of the international community.

During her visit, Peterson also met with the Members of Parliament in a meeting that was chaired by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga.

National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu also attended the meeting at Parliament and asked the US to isolate President Marketing and make the rule of law a prerequisite to partnering with Uganda.