Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s international lawyer Robert Amsterdam and his law firm, Amsterdam & Partners LLP, have filed applications on behalf of the National Unity Platform and Tanzania’s Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), calling for the two countries immediate Commonwealth suspensions.
Described as a voluntary association of 56 independent and ‘equal’ countries, the Commonwealth of Nations brings together about one third of the world’s population. Most members of the Commonwealth were former British colonies.
The application for the immediate suspension of Tanzania from the Commonwealth seeks to pile pressure on the two East African countries to comply with the Commonwealth Charter and the Harare Declaration.
By the time of submitting the application for suspension of Uganda and Tanzania, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) is planning to review conditions previously set for both governments. The CMAGA is meeting on March 07, 2026.
“The applications are submitted as the While the Commonwealth has sought compliance through engagement and dialogue, continued membership without suspension while systemic violations persist risks undermining the authority and credibility of the Commonwealth’s own legal and political framework,” noted Amsterdam & Partners LLP in a statement issued on March 03, 2026.
“The submissions argue that Uganda and Tanzania are responsible for serious and persistent breaches of the Commonwealth Charter, including violations of democratic governance, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the rule of law. These violations also represent a sustained failure to uphold the principles and aspirations enshrined in the Harare Declaration, including free and fair political participation and the protection of fundamental rights.”
The applicants want CMAG “to impose immediate suspension measures on Uganda and Tanzania until concrete steps are taken to meet Commonwealth standards, including protection of opposition rights, accountability for political violence, and full compliance with international human rights obligations.”
The applications, Amsterdam & Partners LLP further explained, recall that the Commonwealth has already established precedent for suspension in circumstances of election-related violence and democratic breakdown, including the suspension of Zimbabwe in 2002.
“The same institutional standards must now be applied consistently,” the international law firm specialising in human rights and political advocacy, and based in London and Washington DC, added.
“The situation in Uganda follows a disputed election marked by repression, while in Tanzania escalating political persecution has culminated in the arbitrary detention of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
The law firm also notes that the submission for suspension of Uganda and Tanzania highlights the recent Opinion No. 74/2025 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, “issued following an application by Amsterdam & Partners LLP, which found Mr. Lissu’s detention to be arbitrary and in violation of international law, and called for his immediate release, compensation, as well as an independent investigation.”
Amsterdam & Partners LLP wants the Commonwealth “to include Mr. Lissu’s immediate release as a clear and non-negotiable condition in any ongoing engagement with Tanzania.”
The international law firm further argued that “while Commonwealth envoys have previously identified core conditions for progress, including full cooperation with fact-finding processes, respect for fundamental rights, electoral and legislative reform, and accountability for political violence, the application notes that meaningful compliance with these requirements cannot occur while governments remain shielded from consequences.”
The applicants were clear in calling for the suspension “until tangible and verifiable compliance is demonstrated.”
“The Commonwealth cannot preserve the authority of the Charter and the Harare Declaration while allowing member states engaged in systemic repression to remain in good standing.
Suspension is an enforcement mechanism intended to protect the integrity of the institution itself. The Commonwealth has acted before when elections were overshadowed by violence and democratic norms collapsed.
Uganda and Tanzania now present precisely the kind of situation that those precedents were designed to address.
With respect to Tanzania, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has confirmed to us that Tundu Lissu’s detention is unlawful under international law.
In Uganda, the post-election environment demonstrates ongoing repression and the erosion of democratic space. The Commonwealth must act consistently and decisively.” Robert Amsterdam, Founder and Managing Partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP
It should be remembered that, recently, Bobi Wine’s international lawyer Robert Amsterdam sought to pile more pressure on Museveni and Muhoozi, calling on the US, UK and Germany to intervene, as reported Here.
Previously, the Museveni regime dismissed calls for the suspension of Uganda from the Commonwealth, as reported Here.
Meanwhile, Bobi Wine is set to share the stage with ex-Trump security advisor in New York. (See Details Here).
