Disturbing images emerged on Saturday April 4, showing women and men at Elegu border with South Sudan allegedly subjected to violence by security forces in a purported effort to enforce the President’s directives on coronavirus and curfew.
Since March 30, when President Museveni announced the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and imposed a night curfew to limit movement, there have been reports of security forces, including Local Defence Unit forces, police, army, and intelligence agencies, resorting to violent measures against individuals perceived to be defying the regulations.
According to reports, security forces reportedly used force to disperse a group of 31 women, identified as sex workers by Uganda Radio Network, and seven men.
“The patrollers kicked doors open and dragged the occupants out, and some fell in the muddy surfaces. Several vulnerable women and a few men were injured in the process,” stated the police spokesperson, Mr. Fred Enanga.
The victims’ landlady, Beatrice Auma, documented their injuries, which included wounds on the women’s thighs and buttocks, seemingly attributed to caning, a practice associated with Ugandan security forces.
It was reported that security personnel used iron bars and sticks to assault the individuals. This incident at Elegu is not an isolated case, as similar cases in other parts of the country have been reported over the past two weeks.
Ms. Margaret Auma, chairperson of Elegu Women Cross-border Traders Savings and Credit Cooperative Society, recounted that, at around 7 pm, she heard women crying and questioning the reason for being pulled out of their houses and beaten.
She further explained that despite the women’s cries, the security forces continued their assault, kicking doors and targeting mainly women, and the ordeal continued till around 1 am when the victims were released.
Following the circulation of the torture photos on social media, a joint security task team composed of senior army and police officers commenced an investigation into the alleged incidents of abuse.
Mr. Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, emphasized in a press release that the patrollers resorted to a heavy-handed approach to disperse the individuals, resulting in injuries to several vulnerable women and a few men. Detailed statements were obtained from 38 victims, comprising 31 females and seven males, and medical examinations were conducted with plans to expedite legal proceedings for the alleged perpetrators.
He added, “The leadership of both the UPDF and UPF, strongly condemns the outrageous and gross acts of misconduct by the officers.”
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