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From: Vovi Uganda e.V. 
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Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 5:00 PM
Subject: Human Rights Records in EA Still Poor - US


Regional  
Monday, March 8, 2004  
Human Rights Records in EA Still Poor - US
Likely to dismay Kenyan officials is the 'poor' grade the US gives to the Kibaki government's performance during its first year in power

  



By KEVIN J. KELLEY 
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 

EAST AFRICANS enjoy little protection against authoritarian rule and arbitrary arrest and torture at the hands of their countries' police and military, the US State Department charges in its latest report on human rights conditions worldwide. 

Governments in every one of the region's countries have "poor" human rights records, according to the survey for 2003, which was released last week. 

Among the findings likely to generate controversy is the State Department's contention that the Ugandan government "at times recruited and used child soldiers." The study also takes note of reports that Uganda continues to support militia activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the withdrawal last June of Uganda's own forces. 

A similar situation prevails in the case of Rwanda, according to the report. "Proxy groups reportedly supported by the [Rwandan] government continued to operate in the DRC and committed serious human rights abuses." In addition, the report says that "multiple credible sources" have reported that the Rwandan military still maintains a presence in key areas in the Kivus in the DRC. 

The report also criticises the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/ Army (SPLM/A), which is strongly supported by several members of the US Congress and by some officials in the Bush administration. "During the year, the SPLM/A was responsible for killings, beatings, rape, arbitrary detention, and forced military conscription of underage young men. The SPLM/A continued to manipulate humanitarian assistance for military advantage," the report charges. 

Likely to dismay Kenyan officials is the "poor" grade the US gives to the Kibaki government's performance on human rights during its first year in power. The Kibaki team is judged to have made only limited progress in upholding human rights, even though the State Department cites what it describes as positive moves to reduce corruption, establish a human-rights watchdog panel and to protect women's rights. 

This year's findings for the East African countries could cost them millions of dollars worth of new development aid to be provided by the United States. The grim appraisal of human-rights practices in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda may render all these countries ineligible for the first round of project grants to be announced in May as part of the Bush team's "Millennium Challenge Account" initiative. 

Each of the countries - Kenya excepted - limited the rights of their citizens to change governments, the report says. 

In Tanzania, for example, the US judges the 2000 elections on the mainland as free and fair but says voting in Zanzibar was "seriously marred by irregularities and politically motivated violence." But interim elections in May to fill parliamentary seats vacated by the opposition Civic United Front were freely and fairly conducted, the report says. 

Uganda's 2001 presidential and parliament elections "generally reflected the will of the electorate," the report asserts. It adds, however, that both rounds of voting were "marred by serious irregularities, particularly in the period leading up to the elections, such as severe restrictions on political party activities, incidents of violence, voter intimidation and fraud." 

Rwanda conducted multiparty elections last August for the first time since independence, the report points out. The voting was "largely peaceful but seriously marred," the State Department adds. Rwandans' right to change their government "was effectively restricted." 

Sudan and Somalia, with which the United States has poor relations, both deny democratic rights to their citizens, the report says. 

Searing criticism is expressed concerning the Lord's Resistance Army. "The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, committed numerous, serious abuses and atrocities. Rebels routinely abducted, tortured, and killed civilians, including children. The LRA used children as soldiers, held children and others in slave-like conditions, and subjected female captives to rape and other forms of severe sexual exploitation during the year," the report says. 

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