Ugandans ministers have warned European countries to stop meddling in their country’s affairs.
The ministers who include David Bahati (State Minister for Finance) and Peter Ogwang (State Minister for ICT) said Uganda is a sovereign state which has a right to run its affairs without any foreign interference.
Their reactions follow United Kingdom Parliament’s resolve that the British government should stop funding Uganda’s security departments citing undemocratic tendencies by the East African country.
On the same note, the European Union (EU) Parliament that sat on Thursday passed 19 resolutions among them was denouncing Uganda’s January 14 elections as “neither democratic nor transparent.” They also condemned the violence, continued harassment and systematic crackdown faced by political opposition leaders in Uganda, as well as the suppression of civil society.
The EU Parliament also resolved that sanctions against individuals and organizations responsible for human rights violations in Uganda must be adopted under the new EU human rights sanction mechanism called the EU Magnitsky Act.
However, while reacting to UK and EU moves, Minister Bahati told journalists in Kampala on Friday that if the UK government stops funding Uganda, government will look for alternatives.
“We have not yet received that letter, but we shall find ways of funding our institutions to see that there is no gap left,” Bahati said.
On the other hand, Ogwang said that Uganda is an independent country that should not be threatened by the western powers. He asked them to leave matters of African countries to African leaders.
“This is my personal opinion and I want to be put on the record whereas we acknowledge the development support we get from other countries,they must stay away from the matters of Democracy. Uganda is a sovereign state and where we acknowledge that Hon Kyagulanyi won in Central Uganda but he lost in the rest of the country so any presumptions that elections in Uganda did not reach the standards is abuse to people of Uganda and our sovereign state.For that matter, I want to ask our colleagues to always seek for correct information,” said Ogwang.
He added that Uganda through the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda or the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kahamba Kutesa will reply to the European Parliament very soon.
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