Four Ugandan police bosses have been sanctioned by the US state department over alleged gross human rights violations.
In a statement released by the US Department of State on Wednesday October 2nd afternoon, it noted that it’s taking action to promote accountability for human rights violations committed in Uganda by banning four members of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) over heir involvement in gross human rights violations, namely torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
The police officers sanctioned include, Alex Mwine, then-District Police Commander for the Mitanya District of the UPF; Bob Kagarura, the then-Wamala Regional Police Commander of the UPF; Hamdani Twesigye, then-Deputy Inspector of Police assigned to SIU; and Elly Womanya, then-Senior Commissioner within the UPF and Deputy Director of the UPF’s Criminal Investigations Division in charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
The four police officers and their immediate family members are generally banned from entering into the United States, according to the US department.
The reports that the four police officers were involved in gross violations of human rights, as documented by civil society organizations, Ugandan civil court documents, and independent journalists, are serious and credible. By publicly sanctioning these individuals, the United States reaffirms its dedication to promoting the human rights of all Ugandans and aid accountability for those guilty for human rights violations,” the statement adds in part.
The sanctions are extracted from Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024.
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