Human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo
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Human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo arrested by Museveni’s dictatorial neo-liberal regime for investigating the November 2020 extra judicial Killings of Ugandans
https://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2020/12/human-rights-lawyer-nicholas-opiyo.html
Opiyo’s Chapter Four, CCEDU closed as government suspends 54 NGOs
Friday August 20 2021
By AFP
The Ugandan government announced on Friday it had halted the activities of 54 non-governmental organisations, a major escalation of its efforts to tighten control over civil society.
One of the groups affected is the country's most prominent rights organisation, Chapter Four.
The National Bureau for NGOs, part of the ministry of internal affairs, said in a statement the shutdown was ordered "with immediate effect".
It said the decision was made because the groups had failed to comply with legislation covering their activities, including operating with expired permits, failing to file accounts or failing to register with the authorities.
Some of the organisations ordered to close had taken part in an election monitoring operation on polling day in January which was raided by security forces and several of their leaders arrested.
The election saw President Yoweri Museveni returned for a sixth term in office after a violent campaign marked by the harassment and arrest of opposition figures, attacks on the media and the deaths of several dozen people.
Chapter Four executive director Nicholas Opiyo confirmed his group had received the government's order to close and described the situation as "serious".
List of suspended NGOs
1. Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO)
2. Western Ankole Civil Society Forum (WACSOF)
3. Citizens' Concerns Africa
4. Elohim Power Transforming Africa
5. Orone Foundation
6. Light Concepts
7. Public Policy Institute
8. Otubet Youth United Development Organization
9. Support Girl Child Uganda
10. Saints Preparation Ministries
11. Adoration Ministries
12.Islamic Da-awah and Orphanage Foundation
13. Jesus Shines Youth Ministries International
14.La Borne Missionary Centre Uganda
15. Wanyange Child Support Foundation
16.St. Francis Foundation for the Poor
17. Ray of Hope International Uganda
18. Mindset Change Development Organisation
19. Liberty International Foundation
20. Foundation for Women Empowerment for Sickler Aid
21. Karambi Action for Life Improvement
22. Tech Plus Love Foundation
23. Centre for Justice Studies and Innovations
24. Chapter Four Uganda 2016- 2020
25. Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) 2019-
2020
26. Femrite Uganda Women Writers' Association 2017- 2020
27. African Humanitarian Action 2017 - 2020
28. Safe Places Uganda Foundation (SPU) 2017- 2020
29. Citizens Platform for Democracy and Accountability 2017- 2020
30. Growth Networks Uganda 2017- 2020
31. Pallisa Civil Society Organisation Networks 2017- 2020
32. Citizens Election Watch-IT (CEW-I1) 2017, 2019, 2020
33. Youth Line Forum Uganda 2017- 2020
34. Arise Africa International 2018-2020
35. Dotwa Africa 2018-2020
36. Rwenzori Consortium for Civic Competence 2018-2020
37. Centre for Conflict Resolution 2019 - 2020
38. Youth Equality Centre 2019-2020
39. Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies (GLISS)
40. Rural Action Community Based Organization
41. Uganda Help Florida
42. Centre for Sustainability Innovation and Research
43. Environmental Governance Institute Uganda
44. Graffen Organization, Butimba Uganda
45. Kwataniza Women's Organization
46. Twimukye Women's Organization
47. Witness Radio Uganda
48. Youth for Green Communities
49. Self-worth Initiative
50. VZW Eight
51. Adepr Pentecostal International Church Uganda Ltd
52. Innovations for Democratic Engagement and Action (IDEA)
53. Network for Active Citizens
54. Leadership Square Africa
Uganda: Government suspends activities of 54 NGOs
https://www.africanews.com/2021/08/20/uganda-government-suspends-activities-of-54-ngos/
Last updated: 20/08The Ugandan government on Friday ordered the suspension with "immediate effect" of 54 NGOs, including the main civil liberties organization Chapter Four, in a move seen as a move to tighten its grip on civil society.
The 54 associations, which operate in the political, societal, religious and environmental fields, are accused of "non-compliance" with the law, the NGO Bureau, which is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said in a statement.
They were operating without being registered, with expired permits or repeatedly failed to submit their annual reports and accounts, it said.
Among these 54 NGOs, the association Chapter Four -whose name refers to Chapter 4 of the Ugandan Constitution which sets out fundamental rights and freedoms- and 14 other organizations have been "suspended indefinitely".
Contacted by AFP, the executive director of Chapter Four, Nicholas Opiyo, confirmed having received this notification, judging the situation "serious".
Charity Ahimbisibwe, who heads the Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy (CCEDU), another organization targeted by the authorities, called the decision "extremely regrettable.
She said CCEDU's operating permit had expired, but that it had applied for an extension because it could not be renewed during the coronavirus containment and in the face of visible obstruction by government officials.
"As a law-abiding organization, we will not continue to operate without a permit," she assured.
The Africa section of the International Commission of Jurists said it was "deeply concerned" by the suspension of Chapter Four.
"We encourage the authorities to urgently resolve this situation to allow Chapter Four to resume its activities," it said on Twitter.
- NGOs active during the presidential election -
Some of the organizations affected by the decision were involved in an observation operation during the disputed presidential election in January.
That operation was raided by security forces and several leaders were arrested.
The election saw President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, re-elected for a sixth term after a violent campaign marked by the harassment and arrest of opposition figures, including main opposition leader and member of parliament Bobi Wine, attacks on the media and the deaths of dozens of people.
The opposition contested the election, which Bobi Wine called a "charade.
Ahimbisibwe said her organization, the SEAC, was repeatedly summoned by authorities after a report was published alleging fraud during the election.
A month before the election, Nicholas Opiyo, founder of Chapter Four and a lawyer for numerous human rights and gay rights activists as well as Bobi Wine, was arrested and charged with money laundering.
Several countries, including the United States and the EU, protested against his arrest and UN special rapporteurs on human rights denounced the "fictitious charges" and the prosecution "seemingly linked only to the electoral context" in Uganda.
The Ugandan civil society figure was released on bail a week later.
President Museveni on Saturday publicly reprimanded his security forces for being too violent before and after the election.
Last November, at least 56 people were shot dead while protesting against the arrest of Bobi Wine.
According to the opposition, hundreds of his supporters also disappeared or died during the violent post-election crackdown.
Ugandan Authorities Shut Down ActionAid’s Work, Freeze Bank Accounts
https://www.actionaidusa.org/news/ugandan-authorities-shut-actionaid/
Friday, October 13, 2017
On Thursday the Ugandan authorities closed down the bank accounts of ActionAid Uganda, preventing the organization from doing its vital work tackling poverty and injustice. The authorities also sent a letter to 25 other non-governmental organizations demanding their bank account details.
ActionAid demands that the authorities unfreeze its bank accounts and end their acts of intimidation against civil society.
ActionAid Uganda Country Director, Arthur Larok, said:
“It seems that the Ugandan authorities are willing to sacrifice the needs and rights of its own citizens in order to maintain their grip on power. We must be allowed to continue to assist people living in poverty and facing marginalization. We cannot allow harm to come to ordinary people.”
The ruling party wants to amend the constitution to remove the presidential age limit of 75 years of age. The move is widely seen as a way of allowing incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 73, to stand for President again in 2021. President Museveni has already ruled the East African country for 31 years.
Many individuals, organizations and MPs have themselves been protesting against this move – the authorities have responded by cracking down on civil society and preventing vital poverty reduction and civic engagement work in the country.
Without access to funds, ActionAid will not be able to continue its essential work, which includes efforts to protect women against violence. This is particularly important because of a series of unexplained murders of women in and around Kampala.
This is not the first time that ActionAid has been targeted in Uganda. On September 20 and 21, approximately 20 police and state security officials entered the ActionAid Uganda Head Offices in Kansanga, Kampala. All staff in the office were prevented from leaving for several hours as the police thoroughly searched the premises. They removed some documents and confiscated the personal cell-phones of some staff and official laptops. They also raided the offices of two of ActionAid Uganda’s local partners.
ActionAid Uganda’s Country Director, Arthur Larok, and Director of Finance, Bruno Ssemaganda were then summoned to the Kampala police station for an “interview and statement” on October 10 and 11. Although both were released without charge, ActionAid subsequently found that its major bank accounts had been closed down. The personal bank accounts of some of its staff have also been frozen.
ActionAid USA Executive Director, Marie Clarke, said:
“We will not be silent in the face of this latest attempt to suppress civic engagement, and we invite all of our allies and organizations to join us in expressing solidarity with Ugandan civil society.
“All Ugandans must be allowed to freely express their views for or against issues of national importance to them. The actions the government is taking in this case amount to criminalizing dissent and go against both Ugandan and international law.”
The police claim that ActionAid Uganda has been involved in “illegal activities”. However, ActionAid believes that the office raid, police interview and the freezing of its bank accounts are part of a wider crackdown against legitimate protests against the plan to remove the presidential age limit from the Ugandan Constitution, which would allow the current president to remain in power indefinitely.
ActionAid remains committed to working with and supporting Uganda’s civil society and fight for justice and democracy.
Marie Clarke added:
“We are deeply concerned about the acts of intimidation by the Ugandan government against our local staff in the country.
“We are worried about the effects this is having on our colleagues and are extremely concerned that this will reduce the impact on the important work they are doing to support people living in poverty.”
ENDS
Editors’ Notes
ActionAid Uganda
ActionAid has been working in Uganda since 1982. We work to defend the rights of women; the rights of poor and marginalised people to land, food and education; and the right for the people of Uganda to demand justice in the areas of tax, anti-corruption and political accountability.
Arthur Larok
Arthur Larok is the current Country Director of ActionAid Uganda. He has previously worked with the Uganda National NGO Forum, the Forum for Education NGOs in Uganda and World Learning for International Development. He is the current Chairperson of the Uganda National NGO Forum, the largest NGO platform in Uganda. He was also elected by civil society as one of their two representatives to the NGO Bureau, a government agency in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, although the government did not ratify his election. He was also chair of the Civil Society for Peace in Northern Uganda. He has been and remains part of several civil society formations in Uganda and has championed many citizen mobilization and solidarity campaigns for socioeconomic and political justice in Uganda.
Opinion: Our offices were raided in Uganda. Here's what to do if yours are, too.
By Arthur Larok // 13 October 2017
Last month, police raided the offices of ActionAid Uganda, the Great Lakes Institute (GLISS), and Solidarity Uganda. More raids on the offices of other NGOs have since followed. Every indication is that we should prepare for a long, drawn-out attack on Ugandan civil society.
Uganda is one of a growing number of countries experiencing a closing of civic space, putting at risk human rights defenders and the communities we serve and protect. The Civicus Monitor offers a disturbing depiction of the state of civic space globally, with the latest developments in Uganda earning the country a rating of “repressed” — one category above “closed,” in a five-category rating system.
In this instance, the offices of ActionAid Uganda, GLISS, and Solidarity Uganda were raided by police in a cordon and search operation. At ActionAid, staff were prevented from leaving for several hours as police thoroughly searched the premises; removing documents and confiscating phones and laptops. The search warrant claimed that all three organizations were involved in “illicit financial transactions” and “subversive activities to destabilize Uganda.” The severity of these accusations and subsequent raids on other NGOs indicate that an attack on civil society is underway.
As this encroachment continues, I reflect on possible motives behind these recent attacks; what they might mean for the future; and what lessons we can learn, as we prepare for further threats.
The office raid appears to be part of a wider crackdown on legitimate protests against the plan to remove the presidential age limit from the Ugandan Constitution, thus allowing the current president to remain in power indefinitely.
We think these attacks have ulterior motives.
1. To delegitimize civil society. Police raids on our offices immediately present us as subversive elements. This could affect our public image, and that of civil society in general. It could also scare away our funding partners and threaten the stability of our work.
2. To compromise our systems and information. These attacks disrupt our work, and potentially sow seeds for future surveillance by targeting our communications systems and infrastructure.
3. To disrupt and derail us from our mission. Part of our mission as civil society is to help articulate public positions. We are opposed to regressive constitutional amendments. We will invest in organizing citizens to resist attempts to remove the age-limit, even though we know this puts us in direct conflict with the ruling party.
4. To threaten and demoralize civil society. In the hopes of driving us into self-censorship, weakening our resolve, and preventing us from tackling injustice.
5. To provide a justification for further action. Such as halting activities of civil society under the pretext that investigations are still ongoing. We have already seen this happening in the case of ActionAid, where two field activities have been halted by the police.
What can we learn from these attacks and what should civil society do to defend ourselves in ongoing efforts to protect civic space? How can we ensure that we are not derailed in our mission to tackle injustice and poverty?
1. Always keep your house in order. You must update and back up all institutional information and documentation. During the impromptu siege, the police demanded documents without delay. If we had failed to do so, it may have caused unnecessary suspicion.
2. Staff and board members must understand all processes in the organization. If interrogated, we do not want colleagues to inadvertently arouse suspicion by saying inconsistent things about how we organize ourselves and what our business processes are.
3. Rapid legal response is necessary. As civic and political space continues to shrink in Uganda and globally, we must strengthen our legal response capabilities. The presence of competent lawyers is extremely important.
4. A positive relationship with the media is essential. The media were very helpful in reporting the siege — and established relations meant they did so in a manner that was both supportive and objective. Social media platforms were of increased importance during this crisis, and future investment here is key.
5. Being relevant to civil society and wider citizens’ struggles. The immense show of solidarity from other civil society organizations, politicians, and the public at our time of need demonstrated our value and relevance to civil society. The more outward looking an NGO, the more likely it is to receive much-needed solidarity from others. We were able to call upon our supporters both in Uganda and across the world to amplify our voice and provide solidarity.
6. Beware of potential informers. Finally, we have learned that the forces that seek to undermine our work are in our midst. It is therefore important to better understand our internal environment and partners with whom we work. We must remain vigilant and transparent and have the confidence to defend what we stand for.
The threat to civil society is far-reaching. We must learn from these attacks and work together to protect and defend the legitimacy and effectiveness of the work that we do.
