NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba (in yellow) interacts with European Union officials after a meeting at the NRM party offices in Kampala on February 17, 2021.Photo/NRM Secretariat
The European Union (EU) leadership in Uganda yesterday met with
officials from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party to
discuss human rights violations, poverty, fake news, and other
post-election related issues.
The revelation was made by the NRM
spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Dombo, who addressed journalists after a
three-hour closed door meeting at the NRM headquarters.
The EU
delegation, which comprised representatives from some of the EU member
countries, was led by Ambassador Attilio Pacifici, the head of the EU in
Uganda.
The NRM delegation was led by the party secretary general, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, who was accompanied by other NRM bigwigs.
Mr
Dombo told journalists that the EU delegation asked NRM to avoid
involvement in acts that abuse human rights and asked them to fight the
spread of fake news which they said tend to cause a lot of anxiety among
people.
“The EU team discussed with us the post-election violence
which they said is characterised by human rights abuse but we told them
that as a party we do not condone any acts that violate human rights. We
also told them all claims of human-rights-related abuses are currently
being investigated by the security agencies,” he said.
He added
that the EU team raised concerns over the high poverty levels among
Ugandans and asked what the NRM government is doing about it.
He
noted that the party has a manifesto on how they plan to address
challenges affecting Ugandans, adding that the party will unveil a
five-year roadmap highlighting solutions to critical problems when the
ongoing court case where its victory is being challenged by the National
Unity Platform (NUP) party is disposed of.
However, he declined to offer details on whether they discussed the demands NUP party recently made to the EU.
He
also declined to comment on the EU MPs, who recently recommended
sanctions against Ugandan officials and individuals involved in the
violation of human rights, saying the Foreign Affairs minister will
issue a statement.
Ambassador Pacifici told journalists that the two parties discussed a lot of things but he declined to elaborately.
He, however, did not entertain questions from journalists saying he had to attend another meeting.
Previously
NUP, EU meeting
While
meeting early this month, the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership
led by party president Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, asked the EU
to engage President Museveni to end the continued acts of human rights
abuse and security violence in the country.
Other matters which NUP discussed with the EU leadership include arbitrary arrests, abductions, and highhandedness of security operatives against civilians.
Although the EU team had sought a meeting with the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the latter allegedly declined, arguing that such meetings do not bear fruit.
Source Daily Monitor.