Catholics Bishops in Uganda have added their voices to the several others that have come out to condemn the excessive use of force and brutality by security agents.
Their call for dialogue came about following brutality meted out by security agents on Makerere University students, journalists as well as several opposition politicians.
In a statement released on at the weekend, the bishops, “As people of Uganda, we should be mindful of Article 24 and 44/3) of our national Constitution, which mandate all people including security personnel to respect human dignity. The same constitutional provisions guarantee the right to protection from inhuman and degrading treatment by prohibiting any forms of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
“We appreciate the fact that Members of Parliament and Government authorities also condemned these abuses of power. As Shepherds of God’s People, we would like to remind everybody that violence is never a solution to solving differences, It will not help us to make of our country a family where everybody can live in peace and harmony,” the statement signed by Joseph Anthony Zziwa, the Bishop of Kiyinda Mityana adds.
They now join MPs, The Editors Guild, Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ) in condemning police brutality.
Full Statement
We, the Catholic Bishops of Uganda, gathered at St. Augustine Institute in Nsambya, Kampala, for our Plenary Assembly of November 4 – 6, 2019, would like to express our concem on the manner in which some security agents have handled some recent demonstrations in the counbry.
We strongly believe that the level of brutality exercised and the ammount of force used by Some security agents while arresting the demonstrating students of Makerere University, the joumalists and opposition political groups, was uncalled for and violated the human dignity. As people of Uganda, we should be mindful of Article 24 and 44/3) of our national Constitution, which mandate all people including security personnel to respect human dignity. The same constitutional provisions guarantee the right to protection from infaamnan and degrading treatment by prohibiting any forms of torture or crue, inhuman or degrading treatment or punisivnent.
We appreciate the fact that Members of Parliament and Government authorities also condemned these abuses of power. As Shepherds of God’s People, we would like to remind everybody that violence is never a solution to solving differences, It will not help us to make of our country a family where everybody can live in peace and harmony.
We therefore call upon Government to promote dialogue and to always listen to the grievances of its citizens, We also appeal to the various individuals, communities and institutions in our country to respect the rule of law and endeavour to seek peaceful ways of resolving conflicts.
We continue to pray for our country and its entire people to live in peace and harmony.
On behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Uganda
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