US sanctions 4 members of Uganda police force for rights violations

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US imposed sanctions on four members of Uganda police force for their alleged role in rights violations, the State Department said Wednesday.

"The Department of State is taking action today to promote accountability for human rights violations committed in Uganda by designating four members of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) due to their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment," spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Those are Bob Kagarura, the then-Wamala regional police commander of the UPF; Alex Mwine, then-district police commander for the Mitanya district of the UPF; Elly Womanya, then-senior commissioner within the UPF and deputy director of the UPF’s Criminal Investigations Division in charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU); and Hamdani Twesigye, then-deputy inspector of police assigned to SIU.

With designations, Kagarura, Mwine, Womanya, Twesigye and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the US.

"The reports that Kagarura, Mwine, Twesigye, and Womanya were involved in gross violations of human rights, as documented by Ugandan civil court documents, civil society organizations, and independent journalists, are serious and credible," the statement said.

"By publicly designating these individuals, the United States reaffirms its commitment to advancing the human rights of all Ugandans and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations," it added.