US senators Cory Booker and Jim James Risch have listed reasons why America has been reluctant to slap sanctions against Uganda and President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s government.
In their March 04 letter to secretary of state Antony Blinken, Booker and Risch argue that although complaints of human rights abuses and electoral democracy, the US government has spared Kampala of tough action.
Now seeking a review of Uganda-US relations, senators Booker and Risch of the Senate foreign relations committee say the Joe Biden administration must rise above rhetorical condemnations by past regimes and take decisive action against Museveni.
The senators noted that several times, “law makers, civil society and human rights organisations have raised concerns with the State Department, department of defense and other US officials about Uganda’s human rights record and failing democracy.”
But these agencies and officials have “generally responded with platitudes about Uganda’s essential contributions to the African Mission in Somalia (Amisom), Uganda’s role in managing the peace process in South Sudan, and hosting nearly one million South Sudanese refugees…”
Besides these three factors – all to do with Somalia and South Sudan – the US has also spared Museveni because of Uganda’s “longstanding partnership with the US on HIV/Aids, and other health related programs, and additional regional security and development issues.”
