RDC tells police to use bullets on demonstrators

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 3 DECEMBER 2011

In Summary

He said demonstrations are a tactical and systematic way to overthrow the government.

The Arua Resident District Commissioner has ordered law enforcement agencies to shoot demonstrators using bullets to curtail protests in West Nile sub-region.
Mr Ibrahim Abiriga, the head of security in the district, said demonstrations aimed at toppling an elected government will not be tolerated.

Detention
Mr Abiriga’s comments, come just a month after police shot dead two civilians in Nebbi District. The police officers are yet to be charged, while several of the demonstrators arrested at the time, are still held in various prisons, even after court granted them bail.
Mr Abiriga said the demonstrations are only a tactical and systematic way of overthrowing government, looting property and “therefore security agencies should deal with them harshly.”

Mr Abiriga, a former rebel with the West Nile Bank Front group, made the remarks during the World Aids Day at Arua Police Grounds. However, the police have said they will not use such methods to quell demonstration.

“Our policy is very clear that when we detect that people are going to become violent, we use community policing to solve their problem. But when there is riot, quelling is done with minimal force as stipulated by the international standards,” said Ms Judith Nabakooba, the deputy police publicist.

Mr Abiriga also attacked the donor community, saying they are behind the demonstrations. “These demonstrations are being organised by other forces like the donors. If I say the Europeans are disorganising us, they say I am insulting people.”
This is the second time the RDC has attacked the diplomatic community in Uganda.
During a meeting in May, Mr Abiriga accused the US and UK donors of sponsoring the walk-to-walk demonstrations, prompting the British High Commissioner, Mr Martin Shearman, to walk out of the meeting. Donors have on various occasions vehemently denied plans to distabilise the country.

Mr Abiriga’s remarks come amid reports that residents in Arua are planning a demonstration against the power shortage in the sub-region for more than a month now.

The country is currently experiencing a shortage in power supply and demonstrations have been held in Kampala, Lira and Masaka. While the rest of the country is connected to the national grid, the West Nile region depends on thermal generation for power and efforts by government to build a 3.5MW hydropower plant at Nyagak is yet to yield five years since construction started.

Residents have criticised the RDC’s remarks. Mr George Andiga said: “I think he still has mentality of the bush war and he should know that demonstrating is a right. It is one way of showing discontent and presenting issues but not overthrowing the government.”

Meanwhile, Ms Josephine Ajio, a resident of Arua town, said the comments by the district security head are regrettable.