Oppression of Opposition and the tyranny of African regimes

What you need to know:

Military rule. The state of affairs in Uganda reminds one of Nigeria under former military ruler Gen Sani Abacha who unleashed state-sponsored terror on political opponents to eliminate the Opposition.

It was recently reported in the media that Tororo hotel owners were being threatened by anonymous people for accommodating Opposition leaders.

According to one of the hotel owners, “Two months ago we started receiving threatening phone calls, warning us of danger and dire consequences if we didn’t stop accommodating Opposition politicians who are using it for their meetings. I am going through a lot of pain and my children are traumatised. Although the case has been reported to the Tororo Central Police, the phone calls have continued as we are labelled Opposition sympathisers involved in political activities in the Bukedi sub-region.”

Meanwhile in western Uganda earlier this week, police were heavily deployed on the streets of Rukungiri to block the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party’s thanksgiving prayers in memory of their supporter who was shot dead by anti-riot police on October 18, 2017, at a political rally.

According to the Kigezi regional police spokesperson, Mr Elly Matte, permission was not granted to FDC and, besides, there is an ongoing trade show.
“The organisers had not fulfilled the requirements stipulated in the Public Order Management Act, so we cannot let them carry out their hidden agenda. They may want to call it a peaceful thanksgiving, but in actual sense by the law, it is unlawful,” he said.

In October, an Opposition team was again blocked from delivering relief items to the Bududa mudslide survivors.

Apparently, the truck with a consignment of food items was intercepted in Buwangani Town by Bududa District police commander Esther Adeke who advised the FDC team led by former party president Kizza Besigye to deliver the supplies to the district disaster committee first and they would distribute the items to the victims depending on need.

The state of affairs in Uganda reminds one of Nigeria under former military ruler Gen Sani Abacha who unleashed state-sponsored terror on political opponents to eliminate the Opposition. Prof Ali Mazrui once put it rightly, “the African state is sometimes excessively authoritarian to disguise the fact that it is inadequately authoritative”.

Samuel Decalo, author of Coups and Army Rule in Africa, substantiates this position and adds that there were three different layers of repressive political tactics that Nigeria’s Abacha used to try and eliminate Opposition parties which was almost successful: 1) Militarily setting the tone of repression, intimidation among the Opposition. 2) Manipulating the judiciary and subverting the rule of law making political opposition an endangered species. 3) The final layer was ruthless attacks on all forms of political opposition.

In June 1998 before Gen Abacha passed away due to a sudden heart attack, it was not surprising that he was the sole registered candidate for the presidential re-elections without any Opposition candidates.
The incoming military leadership of Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar quickly released Nigeria’s political prisoners as a gesture of good will.

In Uganda, although not all Opposition politicians are locked up in Luzira prison, their activities seem to be locked away by the State. And it is unlikely that the ruling NRM government will reconsider its position in the near future and end the unnecessary tension, anxiety and fear for Opposition politicians and their families.