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Uganda police killed five protesters

(Amnesty International) — The Ugandan government must immediately end the {www:excessive} use of force against protesters, Amnesty International said today, after police fired live rounds at crowds of protesters in different parts of the country reportedly killing a child.

Five people have been killed in Uganda since the protests, sparked by a rise in fuel prices and the cost of living, began on 11 April.

“The police have a duty to protect themselves and uphold the law, but it is completely unacceptable to fire live ammunition at peaceful protesters,” said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International’s Africa Deputy Director.

“They must now investigate these deaths immediately in a thorough, independent and effective manner.”

One child was killed and two protesters injured by bullets during protests in the town of Masaka today, a local journalist told Amnesty International. Two police officers were reportedly badly beaten by protesters during the disturbances.

Kizza Besigye, leader of the opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was today arrested for the third time since the protests began. He has been charged with unlawful assembly and will appear in court on 27 April.

Two men were shot dead by security forces in the northern town of Gulu on 14 April. Adoni Mugisu, a market vendor, and Charles Otula, a mechanic died after police fired into crowds of unarmed protesters. The government expressed regret over the deaths and blamed the deaths on the opposition leaders and protesters.

During the protests in Gulu one other person was reportedly lynched by protesters for wearing a T-shirt with a photograph of President Museveni.

On Monday 18 April, dozens of people were arrested and charged with offences ranging from inciting violence to participating in unlawful assemblies. Among them was Democratic Party leader Norbert Mao, who refused to apply for bail and is scheduled to appear in court next month.

“Uganda must immediately drop all charges against Kizza Besigye and all other opposition politicians, activists and supporters,” said Michelle Kagari.

“Criminal charges must not be used against those taking part in peaceful protests and those detained must be released.

“The government must also launch an independent investigation into all human rights violations alleged to have been committed during the recent events. All those suspected of carrying out acts of unlawful violence must be held to account,” she said.

Since the conclusion of the February 2011 general elections, the Ugandan police have maintained a blanket ban against all forms of public assemblies and demonstrations, on grounds of ensuring public security.

“The ban on public rallies violates the right to freedom of expression provided for under Uganda’s Constitution and international law. It must be lifted immediately, “said Michelle Kagari.

“The Ugandan government argues that the ban is in the interest of public security. But in fact it is having the opposite effect, causing widespread disruption,” she said.

24 thoughts on “Uganda police killed five protesters

  1. Killing human beings is not a solution. Please listen to the will of the people. The people are tired of looters and killers. All Clinton young African democrats or looters and killers from Isayas/Meles to Kagami/Museveni all should go. The sooner the better.

  2. There is a way to avoid this kind of risk.

    For example, the opposition could organize a “walk to work” or “same color cloth day” or “honk your car day.”

    These are ambivalent actions that require little courage. The government will have no excuse to arrest anyonone. Especially, if people wore, say whites, on the same day, the tyrant will have no idea who wore white by mistake and who by solidarity. These types of confidence building measures should be taken before going into full swing revolution.

    The “walk to work” tactic was used in Uganda, I believe?

  3. @Mamo,

    I agree with you!

    There are a whole lot of creative ways to avoid or minimize such unnecessary sacrifice if organizers are smart and creative.
    More over for this premature movement , such ruthless killings may discourage many people to join the movement. Such uncreative protest will kill the brave ones first who are critically important for the moment and for the salvation of the country.

  4. It seems to me the Ugandan President must have been the true disciple of Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) for using the exact tactics Meles uses whenever there is a peaceful demonstration in Addis Ababa.

  5. will someone please wake up african dictators, and tell them time to opress and subjucate citizens have gone.. too hard to swallow for them but cold-hard-reality in 21 century

  6. #2. Mamo,

    “walk to work” or “same color cloth day” or “honk your car day.” you wrote

    In principle I have NO problem with your suggestion because resistance have multiple forms.

    But it surprises me that Ethiopians need to be reduced to such a shameful cowardice method as not being able to peacefully take to the streets in accordane with the national and global freedom of expression and demand their nature given rights like human beings both through historical and contemporary times.

    “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” ~Franklin P. Jones wrote

    I can assure you with 99.6% certainty that the frightened dictator Mafia will proactively infiltrate your “walk to work, same color day, honk your car day” sheepish protesters, torture, interrogate, secure false confessions, parade them on the national television and after that secretly kill part of them while jailing the rest in his underground dungeons. He will hit cowards very hard in order to teach a lesson to the brave.

    Why on earth PEOPLE needs to get tortured, killed, jailed and banished from home, communities and country just for wearing colorful clothes and or honking when one can go out in large masses and sustainably on the move and even die for your right of expression like all human beings until demands are met? Follow the brave examples of Oromo students rather than sitting on the fence and prescribing placebo medications after placed medication with no end insight.

    “Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed. Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires.” ~Chief Edward F. Croker stated :)

  7. I think Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has trained his police force to kill very few peaceful demonstrators; by contrast Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) has trained his Agazi death squad to kill peaceful demonstrators in hundreds. Who is more caring to his citizens, Kaguta of Uganda or Meles of Mekelle?

  8. Sisi Siso (TPLF cadre):

    I see I caused you severe paranoia. As expected you tried to pull a fast one by appealing to ignorant people’s bravado.

    One has to be TOO stupid to think the tyrant exists today by some kind of miracle. For every anomaly there is a reason. And the reason in this case is fear. The tyrant has managed to instill fear into the population through massacres and relentless propaganda (as you are doing here).

    For a successful revolution (not just a half ass’ed uprising), the Ethiopian people need to overcome their fear. The fear instilled by the tyrant has to be destroyed and this is achieved only through confidence building measures. Senseless bravado and stupidity are not the solution at all.

    You said wearing same color cloth on the same day will be infiltrated by TPLF. You have to be the dumbest TPLF cadre I have ever read so far. People have a right to wear whatever color cloth they want. If you want to infiltrate, then I guess you are one more addition to the cause. And you infiltrate something, when you know where the lines are drawn. HOw the f* would you know who is wearing white today by accident or by design? Are you going to go around millions of peoples and ask them “Hey I am an infiltrator, I want to know if you are wearing white today …by design or by accident?”

    dumb cadre.

  9. Also, I want to mention the fact that “uprisings” that are lead by few individuals are useless as the tyrant has perfected the process of jailing these individuals as ransom and using their imprisonment as a useful political tool, a double gain for the tyrant.

    Ethiopia needs a mass based uprising. Something that will let millions of people participate. This will be achieved if confidence building measures are taken. With confidence, the vast apathetic people will see they too can make change. Simple uprisings where few brave individuals fight TPLF in the streets are not enough. They should be supplanted with millions of people who are no longer apathetic.

    It will shake the tyrant to the core if he has to deal with millions upon millions of people rather than few individuals. TPLF cadre Siso mentioned the Machevelian argument that the tyrant will “punish the weak and teach the strong.” This is possible only if there is a sharp dichotomy between the sympathetic and the apathetic.

  10. Dear Koster and Mamo,

    In response of your comments, you will never, see any dictator in the world simply to leave his power because of rally, negotiation or a form of multi party system. They always think about thier own but not the Citizens. To them, peacefuly protest is like praising them. They love it and they feel hereos and that’s why killing innocents is the only solution. So, the only medicine to cure dictator’s illinese is gun point. Good Example, Gbagbo, Gaddafi, Mingistu in which very soon Meles will followed him . However, first of all, lets deal with our own country’s problem rather than crossing border to somebody’s country. We have a lot of homework to do in Ethiopia. Finally, I’m agree with Eyaasu’s comment.

  11. Museveni and Meles Zenawi are the same; they are both puppets who serve the west interest than their own people. They are both dictators and servants of the West.

    Africa needs bold and courageous leaders who can stand against any foreign dictatorship and foregin influence.

  12. SiSi SoSo, when I read Mamo’s post, it explains how the tyrant was able to rule for 20 years. It tells me, the tyrant is using fear to rule, and it suggests a solution to the identified problem: that is overcoming the fear. No normative bull shit. The world as it IS, not as it SHOULD be.

    Whereas when I read your post, there is no explanation as to why we have 20 years of tyranny. You seem to suggest “if we just give it one more heave ho”, “just one more push”, “just more of the same but with a bit more force” and sprinkle that with stupid bravado, we might just be able to get rid of the tyrant. I think I heard you say also “we should pray.”

    There is no explanation there. It is all mystifying and full of miracles. Unfortunately this is the 21st century. Nobody really believes in mystery and miracle. It is time for reasonable explanations, science, technology.

    While your words are smart, their only effect is disguising a truly backward thought process. Much like a person wearing smart 3 piece suite while never washing for weeks. No thanks, I would go with Mamo.

  13. Sad! Dictators don’t see the value of life.The pain and suffering of the people of Uganda is the pain and the suffering of Ethiopians.

    As Zinawians’ business empire enlarged and expanded in capital and profit,the greatest majority of Ethiopians’ life reduced to the size of a bean.Ethiopians,how can we free ourselves and country from the minority rulers?

    We are squeezed between the devil and the deep ocean.We are chocked on and drowned by the forceful rule of Meles Zinawi and by the violence of Woyane.primerly,we want a majority rule for Ethiopia.Clearly,then,democracy is the basis of a healthy and common economy,but woyane is against majority rule.Ethiopians,let’s say BEKA in unision and bring the Meles Zinawi’s regime down to its complete defeat.

  14. koster comment #1 why always close minded people like you compare meles and issays? Unlike meles issays is the only leader in africa who refused being a puppet of westernes. Melese and ugandan leader are famosu for kissin white people ass for food. Stay issays out of this he is nothing like them.

  15. A second fear was that what would happen next with all this madness the Uganda’s dictator will do to his people.The Syrian dictator has already mascared 120 peaceful demonstrators in just few hours.Accordingly,the dictators on the other side,not too far from Uganda,Ethiopian dictator Meles Zinawi has been engulfed with fear and visibly disturbed, has desperately been attempting to incite violence in different parts of Ethiopia to create instablity in Ethiopia and and the regions.

    Clearly,all dictors are against the democratic rule.

  16. Mamo,

    I didn’t know that your ego is so fragile like small bay as not being able to stand rational discussion in terms theses, antithesis, and synthesis in order to come up with the best possible and refined idea.

    Personally I did not mean to criticize as a person but only making my personal comments on you publicly displayed solution to the prevailing problems.

    First of all you have also agreed the fact that massive mass uprising is the solution just like I did. The massive mass uprising in many countries have proved itself effective and produced dramatic successes.

    And then again, your are wrongly underestimating the power of a small group of active and dedicated people taking to the streets, gathering forces, mobilizing bystanders, neutralizing opponents along the way and changing the world. It is absolutely in the nature of social movements to act in this way and succeed. No amount of uprising is a push button spontaneous explosion of million at exactly the same time.

    I agree that fear may be one of the factors but not all of the factors in preventing the people in general and opposition in particular from rising up and demanding their rights like any human being.

    But NO one can overcome fear by sitting around and keep fearing just like one cannot learn swimming by fearing not to step in to the swimming pool.

    You learn swimming by jumping in to the swimming pool from the shallow end of it and keep practicing, possibly with the help of coach so that you are master swimmer at the end of day.

    Similarly, you learn to get rid of your fear of demonstrations and other rightful self expressions simply by repeatedly demonstrating either as a member of small activist groups or massive mass demonstration. Fear cannot be defeated by fearing!

    In addition to that we either have Oromo demonstrations being eagerly sabotaged by Amharas or Amhara demonstrations being sabotaged by Oromos, which in fact is the general rule rather than being an exception until now. The current Oromo demonstration which you characterize as a “bravado” is also just a simple continuation of this equation of reality that have been going on for the last 20 years and helped in keeping the dictator firmly in power. Be happy and smile BIG!

    As for your calling me a tplf cadre, it is like ” An old clay pot calling a stainless steel kettle black.” means you seem to be a green snake wayane cadre meandering in green grasses and calling others Wayane cadres. PLEASE DON’T DENY!

  17. Let us have a meaningful and achievable purpose in our struggle for our freedom

    Most oppressed Arabs have one purpose in their minds when they go to their Mosque on Friday to pray. After they have finished their Friday prayers, they will show to the world their solidarity by rioting peacefully against their oppressive rulers, and the deaths of their friends in that particular day will not deter them from denouncing on a regular basis the dictators who mistreated them for a number of years. Friday prayer, therefore, has become for these badly mistreated and desperate Arabs the lasting hope for their freedom from the bondage of the cruel Arab dictators. On the other hand, for the selfish Arab presidents or kings, Friday prayer has become a night mare, a source of violence, and the starting point that brings an end to their harsh and long dictatorial ships.

    I would give good credits though to such Arab leaders whom I have never witnessed that they are preventing the rebel faithful Muslims from attending the Friday Prayer services, knowing after the service is over they will go out and shout against their leaders.

    There is a beauty here between the oppressed and the oppressors and between the Friday public prayer in the Mosque and the prayer in one’s own private house.

    The amazing beauty of the oppressed Arabs, as we all know by now, is their tenaciousness, their common purpose, their entire dedication and total commitment to their final goal – the removal of the dictator from his corrupt office. The burning sun, the freezing night temperature, the hunger, the police brutality, and the insults from some of their Arab friends who sympathize with the regime have failed to enervate the resilient sprits of such exemplary Arabs.

    The simple truth about the beauty of some of the Arab oppressive leaders is their acceptance of vacating their offices after they have convinced themselves that the abused devote Arab Muslims are not going to stop easily from attending the Friday Prayer services and from rioting after the prayer service is over. Case in point, the Yemeni President, Mr. Ali Abdullah Saleh, is on his way out, and the beauty or the legacy he leaves behind for the Yemenis is that he does not want to join the Al Qaeda’s offshoots in the Arabian Peninsula and becomes another headache for the Yemenis and for Washington. Colonel Kaddafi has also started pulling out his forces from Misrata after two month siege; very soon, the Bahraini, the Syrian, and other Arab countries’ brutal dictators will follow Yemeni president’s exit for the good of the Arab nations. If not, they will have the fate of Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast, who was captured with his Evangelical Christian wife, Simone Gbagbo in his bed.

    Without hesitation, every Muslim, except me, knows the tranquility, spirituality, and beauty of the Friday public Prayer in a Mosque where the Imam encourages the faithful to go out and demonstrate in absolute unity and without fear in defiance of their vicious leaders. Also, the beauty of the Friday Prayer is it brings people together to share their ideas, to pray together, to go out together, to revolt together, and to die or live together. There is something strange here: I have never seen the Imam who spurs violence by encouraging his audiences to go out and expose in public their bad master going to jail or being killed by the angry and ruthless dictatorial regime for promoting the faithful to demonstrate against their President or king. This is another beauty of the Arab authoritarian president who does not imprison, persecute or kill the Imam, the inciter of a revolution, and who does not destroy the Mosque where hundreds of the faithful gather together, not only to pray but also to plot to bring down their government.

    We know now the beauty of the oppressed Arabs, the beauty of their oppressors, and the beauty of the Friday public Prayer, but what is the beauty of a private prayer in one’s own house with one’s own family? A private prayer, as its name indicates, is an esoteric prayer conducted by the family: husband, wife, children, and some close friends. There is no Imam here; I assume the husband is the Imam of his family. Here in their own house, the husband, the wife, the children, and the invited close friends can freely discuss about any issue that concerns their lives, their country, and their government. They can bring into their discussion what the Imam in the Mosque had said if they had attended the Friday Public Prayer on that particular day. They can praise him or criticize him; they are free to say anything they want in their private house and in their private prayer. This is the beauty of having a private prayer in one’s own private home with one’s own family and with some friends of the same faith.

    We have witnessed many Arabs expressing their demands from their government after they are done with their Friday Public Prayers. Why not we Ethiopians do the same thing after we are done with our Sunday morning prayers and the Ethiopian Muslims after they are done with their Friday prayers? Of course, the Ethiopian Muslim Imams and the Ethiopian Christian clergies lack the stamina the North African and the Middle East Imams posses to galvanize the faithful to revolt against their tyrannical despots. We know power belongs to the common people, and to regain the people’s power, there must be some sacrifices – deaths in the Church, in the Mosque, in the Synagogue, in the college campuses, in the streets, and even in the hospitals. Such horrible things may happen when a desperate and merciless leader like Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) sees that he is in danger and that some of his army generals are resigning, but will they really resign from their comfortable jobs? I still believe the people’s power is stronger than the Woyanne’s soldiers, and, at the end of the day, the people can win; however, the Imams and the clergy must preach to the faithful, not only the Kingdom of God but also the power of the common people who believe in the Kingdom of God. On this earth of ours, the people are the little gods with absolute powers to govern the universe and themselves.

    To achieve a lasting freedom in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian clergies and the Ethiopian Imams must be the first martyrs. Of course, in a democratic country such killings of innocent clergies and innocent Imam never happen. In fact, Clergies and Imams are special people in the eyes of God, and they were not supposed to be killed by any person according to the Holy Scriptures: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm” (Psalm 105:15). However, Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) is a merciless person who can kill even infants or hospital patients if he thinks the infant is an Amhara baby and the hospital patients are Oromos or Amharas.

  18. SiSi SoSo:

    I like how you want to learn swimming by jumping into a pool. By the way, if you don’t know how to swim, please find the nearest swimming pool and have fun.

  19. The more I think about the “same color cloth” day tactic, the more I am convinced we should implement it. It is essentially an anti-symmetric tactic against which the Tyrant has NO real weapon.

    As TPLF cadre sisi soso tried to point out, TPLF might try to infiltrate it but then to what end? Let me explain,

    Let us say May 13 is the same color cloth day. This may be dishonest but on say may 12, we write on school boards, work areas, emails and wherever we can that, the next day students, teachers, workers etc are required to wear white. This will give significant number of people perfect excuse to wear white. If TPLF infiltrators ask them why they are wearing white, all they have to answer is the writing on the board says so or I was emailed to do so.

    This sounds childish but really, when you think about it, you have the potential to have millions of people, deliberately or by mistake joining the confidence building measure. The best part is, TPLF can know about it and it still can NOT do sh*t about it!!!!

  20. In as much as most of the military hate the tyrant from the bottom of their hearts, which I am sure they do, it may be not be so that significant number of army personnel may resign at the beginning simply because in a wretched country like Ethiopia the economic and political power is completely concentrated in to the hands of the tyrant and his wife which also means salary paying power is practically at their hands and the military have themselves and their families to feed.

    Once a united and allied viable active action based opposition front that speaks and acts the same or similar manners emerges advocating new positive policies and vision of change and its positive and better benefits and implications for the individual,the communities and society at large all segments of the society including the military will start joining the struggle piece by piece in order to build the new, democratic, sustainable and just society for all.

    But united and motivated activists need to show the road and play the bold and sustained role model for others, including the military, to see and join along the way. For that to happen, we have to go beyond our traditional cunning fox lip services and sweet narrations alone in order to form a solid working alliance and show it rather than ONLY talk about it.

    Even in the Egyptian case of uprising the majority of the population inducing some members of the armed forces, hospital and medical service association and other trade union organizations joined the uprising after the initial active and united core took to the streets, taking shots, deaths, kidnappings and jailing but still believed in their dreams for justice, pushing forwards and going only for victory, nothing but ONLY victory over dictatorship and the family business of making politics.

    What drags backwards the justified and much overdue mass uprising to bring about the new equality, democracy and justice for all is not so much any inherent and fundamental Ethiopian cowardice and Grand fear of the Grand Dictator currently bragging about the Grand fake attention diversion Grand damn dam for the purpose of the grand robbery of your money from our pockets as well as our land and river based resources.

    The fundamental problem is that the cunning fix tyrant is able to shrewdly divide and destroy Amharas and Oromos one by one at a time.

    He goes to whisper to oromos using appropriate melodies, saying, “the same brutal Amhra Naftagnas are day and night conspiring to take back power simply to bring back their lost amhara chauvinist dictatorship in order to enslave all else like always, and hence we must fight and crash them together in unity. You know what I mean! please keep these secrets totally confidential. kikiki…”

    Then after that he goes to the Amharas and whispers to them with sweet nationalist musical tone and pleasant melody, saying, “the undeserving “Gallas” are using their numbers in order to take over power and rule over the Amharas and others, hence we should unite and fight them together. Of course you know what I really mean even with out saying! These issue is ONLY between us. kikikii…”

    This is to say that the mother of all Ethiopian weaknesses, fears and completely shameful failed state status are emanating from the above equations actively operating under the surface for the last 20 long years and still going strong like Johny Walker, born in 1820 but still going strong.

    Thanks for your kind attention but now I must go for my Johny Walker to quench my thirst, strengthen my muscles and fight for my rights. :)

  21. weyane/tplf will kill 1000000,000000 of ethiopian.
    we will fight them
    weyane/tplf worst fear is for ethiopian & eritrean to work together.
    # 1 enemy of ethiopian & eritrean people is weyane/tplf.
    long live ethiopian-eritrean cooperation
    end of weyane/tplf is comming

  22. #23.kassa,

    Ethiopians need to be friendly with all the neighboring countries including the good Eritrea with whom we need to develop peaceful cooperation and the good horn well being but please STAY AWAY from trying to closely and publicly mixing up in Ethiopian politics and by that way offer dictator Meles an excuse for whipping parochial negative patriotism to hinder the coming sure uprising to clean his tyranny from the face iof Ethiopia once and for all.

    If tyrannical brutal Wayane have had the chances for dividing and mass killings and genocides just like Nazi leader Adolf Hitler have had at one time the chances for mass killings genocides and mass displacements does not mean that they will be having endless chances and abilities for repeatedly and freely doing the same master crimes and genocides irrespective of times and places.

    Time and tide changes as it did for and then against Hitler, Mengistu, Ben Ali of Tunisia, Mubarak of Egypt and others to follow soon. Keep your thumbs up and do what you can and intend to do for the people discretely, honestly, genuinely and most all humanly.

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