Ugandan Army Says Circulating Press Release Condemning Human Rights Abuses Is Fake

13 August 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Grace Gichuhi

Ugandan army says circulating press release condemning human rights abuses is fake

IN SHORT: A press release, supposedly from the Ugandan army and condemning the violation of human rights by its members, is circulating on Facebook. But the Uganda People's Defence Forces says it is fake.

A press release supposedly from the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has been posted on Facebook. It claims that the army has condemned human rights violations by its personnel.

These violations include the beating of demonstrators and the alleged sodomising of detainees.

The UPDF is responsible for defending Uganda's sovereignty and territorial integrity and is also involved in various peacekeeping missions across Africa.

The press release is headlined: "PRESS RELEASE CAUTION AGAINST BEATING PROTESTERS AND SODOMIZING THEM AT CMI."

The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) is the army's intelligence arm.

The document emphasises the UPDF's commitment to upholding human rights and states that any military police officer caught on camera abusing civilians will face the consequences. It then urges the public to report such incidents so that appropriate action can be taken.

Human rights organisations have consistently condemned violations in Uganda, including police brutality, unlawful arrests, restrictions on freedom of expression and ill-treatment of detainees.

Security forces have reportedly used excessive force, including beatings and torture, against protesters and political opponents. The Ugandan government has also been criticised for suppressing media freedom and targeting journalists and activists.

Allegations of abuse in detention centres, such as those run by the CMI, have raised further concerns about the country's respect for human rights.

The press release has also been published here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)

But has the UPDF issued a press release committing itself to the highest standards of conduct and promising to take decisive action against those within its ranks who do not toe the line?

Fake press release

A genuine press release of this kind would have been widely reported in the Ugandan media. However, there is no evidence of such coverage.

On 25 July 2024, the UPDF through its official X (formerly Twitter) account flagged the press release as "FAKE".

This fake press release has also been published here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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