Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Uganda have dared the country’s government to prove its claim that the Uganda National NGO Forum and Uganda Women Network (UWONET) are financing terrorism.
The CSOs challenged the government after bank accounts belonging to the NGO Forum and UWONET were frozen, affecting their operations.
The Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) had said in a letter addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that it freezed the organisations’ accounts over their alleged funding of terrorism.
The organisations are understood to be heavily involved in civic education and criticising the government over what they believe is the government’s failure to provide equal opportunity for political competition ahead of the general election scheduled for 14 January, 2021.
The FIA has not disclosed the names of the terrorist groups the organisations are allegedly working with.
Speaking at a press conference, the CSOs accused the government of deliberate denial of the civic space for those involved in demanding good governance.
‘We protest against the actions of the state and we think they are doing this out of panic given the heated up political season in the country’, Executive Director of Chapter Four Uganda, Nicholas Opiyo, said.
Chairperson of UWONET, Tezira Jamwa, said the freezing of their accounts had affected activities relating to the elections of women and youths.
UWONET was involved in the 2016 general election observation and was at the centre of the women’s situation room that advocated free, fair and peaceful polls.
‘This action has and will continue to affect the operation of UWONET generally, but specifically, activities that were ongoing for the benefit of our targeted groups, especially women and girls, including the activities for the 126 days of activism to end gender-based violence and training of women candidates in various districts’, Jamwa said.
Executive Director of Centre for Constitutional Governance, Sarah Bireete, said President Yoweri Museveni should ask his officers to unfreeze the accounts, saying an attack on UWONET is an attack on all women.
Last month, the government of Uganda deported two heads of the United States and European Union-funded NGOs in the country over allegations they support regime change.
Two other heads of foreign NGOs carrying out civic education and strengthening political parties regarding next year’s election were barred from returning to Uganda.
Sources within civil society say the government’s decision to deport or block the return of the officials was based on the belief that they had been providing support to presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi.
Source: Monitor
Photo source: Chatham House
