Sweden : NUP moves to exert more pressure on Museveni

The National Unity Platform (NUP) diaspora chapters have witnessed a surge in their resistance activities aimed at ending President Museveni’s leadership in Uganda.

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, the NUP president in November last year oversaw the election of the chapter leaders in Europe and instructed them to up their push for pressuring the Kampala regime.

In Sweden, one of the European countries with a considerable number of Ugandans, Mr Joe WhalouXhaso emerged as the Chapter Chair as the Kamwokya outfit moved to strengthen their activism on the diaspora front.

On the phone from Sweden, Mr Joe WhalouXhaso addressed several issues, including the recent anti-Museveni demonstrations across Europe, the coming elections in Uganda and occupations against Kamwokya on promoting foreign interference in the country by centring their struggle in Europe and other countries away from home.

Ugandans in Sweden, Germany, the UK and Holland recently held a string of protests in which, among others, they demanded the unconditional release of the eighteen NUP supporters reportedly missing at the hands of the regime.

Mr WhalouXhaso revealed that the activities are part of the grand agenda for all the chapters in Europe to expose the silent holocaust (genocide?) happening in Uganda under the Museveni military regime.

He stressed the need for the release of all political prisoners, noting that the Eighteen widely being talked about are only those the government has accepted responsibility for but there remain thousands whose disappearance remains unaccounted for. He demands that in a country where it’s not illegal to oppose the government, there should be no reason whatsoever to persecute citizens.

The NUP boss explained that stopping President Museveni and the atrocities going on in Uganda ceased being a responsibility for Ugandans but a global one. He, thus, faults those criticizing their approach to bringing it to the world.

” The rate at which human rights are violated in Uganda makes it a global concern and stopping it ceases being a responsibility for Ugandans alone but the entire human race. Those concerned about why we are engaging the world need to be informed.” He argues.

WhalouXhaso also notes that their actions in Europe and around the world are intended to appeal to the powers supporting the Ugandan dictatorship to reconsider and push for extensive accountability.

” We have a duty to create awareness about the happenings in Uganda. We must push the powers to withdraw their support to the dictatorship or demand that some conditions are met for such aid to be provided,” Mr WhalouXhaso says.

NUP members in the diaspora have also come under fire for instigating their counterparts in the country into violence only to face the wrath of the regime’s security, with some losing their lives in the process. Mr WhalouXhaso, however, wonders why victims are blamed for the terror exerted on them by the aggressor instead of it being the other way round. He says that NUP is a peaceful, non-violent organization which has always advocated for a peaceful non-violent approach in pushing for an end to the dictatorship.

He also faulted President Museveni for stifling political rights in the country. He expressed pessimism in the coming general elections, arguing that all indicators point to a rigged process ahead of the actual voting. He wonders how a free and fair election can be expected in situations where the regime chooses to appoint its NRM cadres to oversee the electoral process.

“Apart from the fact that we can use this period to mobilize the population, I don’t hope for a free election that will give us a different result from 2021.

Also addressed by Mr WhalouXhaso is the ongoing Non-Alignment Movement Summit in Kampala where he punched holes in the suitability of Uganda to play hosts.

WhalouXhaso argues that for a country riddled with accusations of gross human rights violations and military incursions in neighbouring countries, hosting the global peace promotion summit like NAM sharply contrasts with the objectives for which it was formed at the 1963 Bandung conference.

“Reports of abductions, torture, and killings of its own citizens cast a shadow over Uganda’s credentials to host a conference that advocates for peace, sovereignty and independence.” WhalouXhaso protests.

He warns that the World will be focusing on the events in Kampala with expectations that participating countries will address the plight of a country grappling with accusations of human rights violations and military incursions playing host to one of the world’s biggest organisations after the United Nations.