Ugandan army commander orders arrest of soldiers who beat journalists

Protesters light a bonfire on a street on August 20, 2018to demand the release of the Ugandan MP Bobi Wine. Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces Gen David Muhoozi has ordered the arrest and punishment of soldiers who brutalised and harassed journalists. PHOTO | STRINGER | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Order comes after widespread local and global condemnation of UPDF soldiers’ brutality and harassment of journalists.
  • The journalists were covering protests occasioned by the arrest of politicians including Kyaddondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.
  • Army Spokesman Brig Richard Karemire said the leadership of the army condemned the soldiers' brutality.

Gen David Muhoozi, the Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), has ordered the arrest and punishment of soldiers who brutalised and harassed journalists who were covering a joint security operation against protestors who were on Monday demanding the release of jailed politicians including Kyaddondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.

The order comes after widespread local and global condemnation of UPDF soldiers’ brutality and harassment of journalists who were covering the recent political campaigns in Arua Municipality which led to the arrest of politicians and riots in several parts of Kampala city on Monday.

STATEMENT

A statement issued Tuesday by the Defence and Army Spokesman Brig Richard Karemire said the leadership of the army condemned the soldiers' brutality.

“Attention has been brought to the leadership of the UPDF about the unprofessional conduct of the soldiers who molested some journalists while deployed on a joint operation in the capital city on Monday 20th August 2018.

“UPDF wishes to express its displeasure over such behaviour by those individuals, and as a result, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) has ordered their arrest and punishment,” the spokesman said.

The journalists who faced the wrath of the soldiers are Juma Kiirya, Herbert Zziwa, Ronald Muwanga, Ronald Galiwango (all from NTV), Julius Bakabaage (NBS), James Akena (Reuters), Samuel Kyambadde (Metro FM) and another one identified as Richard from Ghetto TV.

“While expressing apologies and sympathies to the individuals on whom pain was inflicted, we wish to reiterate our strong commitment to maintain a strong partnership with the media fraternity in the course of executing all our core functions as laid out in the Constitution,” Brig Karemire said.

KENYAN EDITORS REACT

Meanwhile, the Kenya Editors’ Guild on Monday condemned the threats and attacks on journalists in the course of their work.

“Editors around the world and the international community see this as a serious affront to media freedom, freedom of expression and the people’s right to access information,” read their statement signed by the guild’s chairman Churchill Otieno.

“An attack on journalists in not only an attack on press freedom but also an attack on democracy and the societal and universal values relating to respect for human rights and human dignity,” the statement added.

JOURNALISTS NOT CONTESTANTS

The Kenyan editors’ guild said the affected journalists were not contestants in the political competition and committed no crime by carrying out their work, which is aimed at informing Ugandans and the rest of the world of the democratic and political processes in the country.

The statement added that the global family of decent nations must not stand by as journalists are molested.

"The Uganda government must cease attacks and harassment of journalists, and the East Africa Community, the African Union, the United Nations and other friends of democracy have a duty to help underwrite freedom of expression for the people of Uganda.

"The action of security agencies in Uganda is a blatant attempt to silence journalists and deny Ugandans and the world the right to know and understand political and democratic events in that country. It must be condemned by all respectable individuals and nations, regardless of their positions or stations in society and the world," the statement reads.