Once hailed as a bastion of stability in a tumultuous region, recent events in Uganda suggest the country is headed toward increased repression and declining democracy.
President Yoweri Museveni has been in power for almost 25 years and despite his winning of the recent election, there is substantial discontent among the population with his continued rule and with the apparent impunity of his regime for corruption, mismanagement, and violence. The government’s security forces are responding to peaceful protests with brutality that includes killings, beatings, and abusive and arbitrary arrests of protesters and uninvolved bystanders.
The Open Society Foundations host a discussion on these recent events and their policy repercussions. Based in Uganda, panelist Maria Burnett from Human Rights Watch will explore the root causes of these events, implications for Uganda’s future, and how the U.S. government should respond. Devra Moehler of the University of Pennsylvania will discuss the broader implications of Uganda’s backtracking, including its effect on the region and the continent of Africa.
Panelists
- Maria Burnett, Senior Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
- Devra C. Moehler, Assistant Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
- Akwe Amosu, Director of Africa Advocacy, Open Society Foundations (moderator)