On the issue of human rights, Uganda should be saluted - Rugunda

Rugunda, to the contrary, says Uganda’s human rights record is commendable, something that has not been acknowledged by the European Union (EU) and this reflects poorly on the EU instead of Uganda.

Rugunda was commenting on the ongoing East Africa Crude Pipeline (EACOP) spat between Uganda and the EU.

To illustrate how much of a vexed question human rights abuses and violations are the world over, he cited human rights record of the United States of America.

“You have been seeing what has been happening in America. America is grappling with those issues to try and solve them. On the issue of human rights, Uganda should be saluted, congratulated for the tremendous progress it has made,” he noted.

Rugunda said in the context of the challenges the country faces, Uganda has done well in promoting human rights.

EU resolution

The EU parliament on September 15 adopted a resolution calling out the supposed human rights violations in Uganda, along with the alleged environmental and climate risks posed by the Tilenga and EACOP projects, developed by French oil company Total in Uganda and Tanzania.

The Tilenga project comprises oil exploration, a crude oil processing plant, underground pipelines, and infrastructure in the Buliisa and Nwoya districts of Uganda.

The EU Members of Parliament went on record saying that more than 100 000 persons are being forcibly evicted to make space for Uganda’s oil project, thereby the EU decried the forced evictions without any accompanying compensation.

President Yoweri Museveni recently condemned the EU lawmakers with regard to Uganda’s oil projects, adding that everything will go on as planned for commercial oil production to begin in 2025.