Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) still has a chance to have his name removed from the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) and have the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reverse sanctions against him.
The sanctions against Byabashaija relate to his involvement in violating human rights of inmates, including homosexuals, detained in the country’s prisons.
The US treasury department expects Byabashaija to undertake corrective measures if he is interested in having sanctions against him reversed.
With these sanctions, all property and interests in property of Commissioner General Byabashaija that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons have been blocked. The same applies to all companies Byabashaija directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, owns with at least 50 per cent of the total shares.
The country’s chief jailer will also not be allowed to transact with US citizens.
“In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action,” the treasury department added.
“The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.”
The treasury’s OFAC office also has the powers to remove Byabashaija from the SDN list.
Emphasizing that “the ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior,” the Department of the Treasury has said that it has noted “recent attempts by the Uganda Prisons Service to implement human rights-related measures, but these measures fall short.”
The department has listed things that Byabashaija must do in order to have sanctions reversed.
“Should Byabashaija implement effective measures to eliminate torture and impunity, increase independent human rights monitoring, ban forced anal examinations and other forms of abuse used to target LGBTQI+ persons and others, ensure protections for vulnerable persons and groups, and improve overall prison conditions, the Department of the Treasury will consider those to be changes of behavior that would potentially result in his removal from the SDN List.”
The conditions, relating to homosexuals’ rights, are much similar to the ones the US government has given Museveni if he still wants Uganda to be part of the AGOA trade deal. (See Details Here).
Meanwhile, opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has spoken out on Byabashaija sanctions. (Read Details Here).
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