Immediate and unconditional release of Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos, a vocal refugee leader and human rights defender in Kampala Uganda.

Date: December 3rd, 2020 

Hon. Musa Francis Ecweru 

State Minister in-charge of Refugees

Government of Uganda 

Office of the Prime Minister – Kampala 

Tel: 256772420509

Email: mfecweru@yahoo.co.uk 

Dear Hon. State Minister,

Dec 3, 2020(SSNN) — The Global Refugee Leaders Forum brings together various refugee leaders around the world to address challenges faced by refugees in the field of Peace, Human Rights, Good Governance, leadership and Democracy and the protection of vocal refugee leaders among others. 

Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos in jail in Kampala, Uganda(Photo credit: supplied)

As we commemorate the world day of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10th, and the decriminalization of Human Rights Defenders in the world, we encourage you to put a special and particular attention on the situation of refugee human rights defenders who are so unique basing on who they are and what they doing. 

On June 16th, 2020 we received disturbing allegations that you deployed security services commanded by the Commissioner in-charge of General Crimes at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Kibuli-Kampala and kidnapped Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos together with his two other colleagues namely Musirikale Marcel and Nshungibirhi Jean Paul. This was a result of unfriendly and threatening whatsapp messages you posted in the Group which Pecos is the Administrator as you reacted to diverse opinions on the current situation of refugees in Uganda which was discussed in the forum. 

Pecos and his colleagues were then detained in various Police Cells and then were granted Police Bond on June 19th, 2020. Since then they have kept on reporting to the Police up to now. Six months later no clear charges have been maintained against them and instead of providing information about the results of investigations concerning the charges against them of “inciting violence”, the CID officers are busy threatening them and asking them to bring money in case they want the case to be closed. At the same time, information on our possession indicates that more than 10 refugees were deployed by security services to track Pecos and even now these refugees are still being deployed to track him and create all sorts of scenarios which can lead to his arrest once again. We are much concerned that refugees who came to Uganda to seek protection are being turned into security operatives against their fellow refugees. Refugees are not intelligence officers. 

 It was in such a situation that 1,000,0000 Ug Sh (300$ USA) was taken by CID officers from Nshungibirhi Jean Paul towards the end of September after he was subjected to all forms of threats, and intimidations which mounted to torture in exchange that his case would be closed. On top of that their properties such as phones, laptops, cameras and other many things were confiscated by the Police up to now and there are no clear reasons why they are still into the hands of the Police. 

Let us bring to your attention that for the last few months now, the security officers handling this case are no longer interested in the criminality based on the offense but they are much interested to know how much money Pecos can mobilize so that the case is dismissed. Six months now and the case has not been taken to the Courts of Law in Uganda, appears more of arbitrary, illegal and harassment.

Surpassingly it appears ironical that you as the Minister in-charge or refugees who is to ensure that refugee rights in Uganda are fully respected you seem the same one person who plays a role in the violations of our colleagues rights. Could this point out your incapacity to ensure the protection of refugee rights in Uganda? There is nothing much that can explain the fact that up to now, you have not yet been so much concerned to find out what happened to our colleagues even after you ordered their arrest. We are much aware that over the years your Ministry has not been so kind to the work of Pecos towards the respect of refugee rights in Uganda, and that you have subjected him to all forms of abuse. 

Basing on the above we remain attached to the struggle of refugee human rights and that cannot be compromised and therefore we recommend you the following:

To immediately engage with the Security officers in-charge of this case and find a way out without condition either to send it to Court or to close it, immediately and without condition,

To engage with the security officers in order to stop all threats and intimidations towards Pecos in order to get money from him and from his colleagues,

To immediately ensure that Pecos and his colleagues are brought before an independent tribunal and that their right to legal representation is fully respected, 

To immediately end threats and intimidations towards Pecos and his family members and stop using refugees to track him, we also ask you to ensure that his life is safe especially during this period when Uganda is in a critical political situation of elections and at the same time struggling with COVID19.

We urge for Ministry and the entire Government of Uganda to end the corroboration on refugees into security services and ask those who are already used as intelligence services to stop it, 

We remain standing in solidarity with our colleagues who are not yet free in Uganda until they gain their freedom, and by Tuesday December 8th, 2020 if this case it not either transferred to Court or dismissed we shall engage on other forms of public campaigns for the total freedom of our colleagues, 

Yours sincerely 

Jackson Baguma Ntamuzinda 

Regional Coordinator 

Global Refugee Leaders Forum 

Goma, North – Kivu/ DRCongo 

Admin2018

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