By Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. In the past few years, several Ugandan envoys have been expelled from countries where they were posted due to acting undiplomatically. Recently Canadian authorities gave Joy Ruth Acheng who was Uganda’s High Commissioner to Canada, 72 hours to leave the country for being partisan and declared her persona non-grata. A persona non grata stamp in the passport means the holder has been kicked out of a country with orders never to return.
Money laundering: – Last week, detectives started to investigating high-ranking officials at Uganda’s Embassy in Nigeria, including Uganda’s representative in the country Nelson Ocheger, over money laundering. The investigation, which is being conducted on the orders of the president of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, came at a time when Uganda is recovering from reports that Uganda’s consulate in Dubai had been turned into a casino. Police have since asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a range of files as part of the wider probe into acts of criminality at the Embassy in Nigeria. The allegations include: 1. Money laundering using government funds meant for the construction of the embassy premises. 2. Embezzlement of about USD 80,608 (Ugx 300,000,000 million), part of the supplementary funding to close a wage shortfall in FY 2022/2023. Achenge’s Canada exit: – On August 7, 2024, Acheng was flamboyant. She appeared in a video clip wearing a yellow dress and dark glasses, interacting with some protesters in Toronto, Canada. The video, which was shared by the National Unity Platform (NUP) party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, went viral. Within weeks, it had come back to haunt her. During the altercation with protesters, recorded on video, Ms Acheng accused the NUP members of staging abductions of their members in order to taint the image of the Ugandan government.
“You people should stop abducting yourselves; stop killing yourselves and saying it is Museveni,” she said, referring to NUP’s frequent complaints that authorities were abducting and torturing the party’s members. The NUP party leader Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine posted the video on social media saying that Uganda’s representative to Canada Acheng openly engaged in partisan politics against people she’s required to serve without discrimination. Kyagulanyi said that Acheng while exchanging words with the Ugandan opposition protesters in Toronto failed to answer questions on the Ugandan government’s abduction, torture, and subsequent trial of opposition supporters, but instead claims opposition supporters abduct themselves for asylum. Over the years, the current government headed by President Museveni has been criticized by the opposition, human rights activists, and the UN for human rights violations including torture, illegal detentions, and extrajudicial killings of opponents and critics. In 2022 November, the United Nations Committee on Human Rights against Torture pinned the government of Uganda on human rights abuses. This followed the UN Committee Experts summoning the State’s human rights institutions and questioning them about unauthorized places of detention (safehouses) and inaction in prosecuting several torture cases.
Why is Canada involved in Uganda’s issue
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, ambassadors are strictly expected to represent the interests of their countries, foster good relations, promote peace, and not to engage in or influence political play. They are discouraged from taking part in partisan politics but maintain neutrality. Canada is one of the most liberal countries in the world and one that usually speaks up for civil liberties in international fora, did not take kindly to her moves. On August 21, 2024, Achenge left her station in the North American country and returned to Uganda. Mayega’s UAE exit:- In July 2024 another Ugandan representative in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Henry Mayega was also forced to fly home after being accused of turning Uganda’s mission into a casino. Henry Mayega, a politician-turned-diplomat who worked in Beijing before moving to Dubai as deputy ambassador and consul general, was recalled last week following reports that the Ugandan House in Dubai had been partly turned into a casino. Mayega reportedly imported gambling machines and installed them in the embassy building. The media recently reported that the External Security Organisation (ESO) was investigating circumstances under which privately procured gambling machines, shipped under diplomatic cover between Russia and the Middle East, ended up being operated at Uganda’s Consulate building in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The foreign spy agency swung into action in April, this year, following concerns the practice breached provisions of the April 18, 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Past exits
Ms Nimisha Madhvanire has been recalled twice. In 2017, Nimisha was recalled from Abu Dhabi after she hosted legislators investigating allegations of enslavement of Ugandans in the UAE. This caused a diplomatic row between Uganda and the UAE. In 2020 she was also recalled from Denmark after an audio recording indicated she was dishing out embassy money to staff members when it was meant for displaced Ugandans affected by the Covid-19 global pandemic. In November 2020, Phibby Otaala was replaced as High Commissioner to Kenya in routine changes by President Museveni. But Ms Otaala, who had unsuccessfully contested a parliamentary seat in Uganda while serving as High Commissioner, caused a scene by vowing not to hand over office to Hassan Galiwango, who had been appointed in her place.
Opinions
While reacting to the Canada incident, Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Henry Okello Oryem told the local media that she had had other unelaborated issues. Mr Oryem expressed disappointment at the turn of events, explaining that the envoy had been involved in many issues in Canada, before adding that she had fallen of her own accord and that the incident would not affect Uganda’s ties with Canada. However, some critics blame the Ugandan Head of State for making political appointments of people who lack diplomatic acumen. President Museveni has a history of making political appointments of people who lack diplomatic acumen, leading some critics, including opposition politicians, to argue that he uses the positions as a dumping ground.
Some Ugandan career diplomats believe that the majority of the political appointees are unfit and unsuitable to represent the country abroad, which could tarnish Uganda’s diplomatic service, once among the best on the continent. Under Ugandan law, the President has the authority to decide who heads foreign missions and has often mixed career diplomats with political veterans and military chiefs.The Leader of the Opposition in the Ugandan parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, on August 22, 2024, criticized Uganda’s diplomatic appointments, accusing the government of sending “jokers and political failures” abroad.Ssenyonyi called for a thorough review of Uganda’s diplomatic appointments, advocating for the replacement of political appointees with career diplomats who understand the nuances of international relations.
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