Uganda: Election should address the challenges that Christians face in the country

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Africa | 17 March 2016

The presidential election in Uganda is to be held on 18 February 2016. The campaign has been intense but there have been reports that the government is harassing the opposition. The Guardian reported on 15 February that a top presidential candidate had been detained. The US State Department released a statement on 12 February saying: "We strongly urge the government and electoral authorities to ensure a level playing field and transparent process, including through fair application of the law, so that all candidates have an equal opportunity to express their views and voters have the opportunity to hear them." Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "Yoweri Museveni has been ruling the country since 1986, which makes him one of the longest-serving presidents in Africa. Under his leadership the country has seen atrocities committed, especially in northern Uganda due to the activity of the Lord"s Resistance Army. The country is rated "˜not free" by Freedom House. The electoral process, political pluralism and other basic tenets that are crucial for democracy to progress have been restricted by the government. The ruling regime has enacted a series of laws that are repressive. Even though the country has been participating in fighting terrorism in Somalia, a militant Islamic group called Alliance for Democratic Forces (ADF) aiming to establish a sharia state in Uganda has been flourishing in eastern Congo. In eastern Uganda there have been attacks targeting Christians - especially Muslim background believers (MBBs). The government has failed to conduct investigations fully and bring the perpetrators to justice. Thus, it is imperative that the elections to be held on 18 February should address the above challenges. For freedom of religion to flourish, it is pivotal that rule of law is observed."