Torture Stories Can Be Stopped Rather Than Denied
The Monitor (Kampala)
OPINION
February 25, 2003
Posted to the web February 25, 2003
Henry Ochieng
Kampala
On Saturday, this newspaper published another denial of torture allegations by the Chief of Military Intelligence, Colonel Noble Mayombo. Colonel, I say to you, why again?
Ugandans have for many years hoped against hope that this question of torture is a bad dream. We have seen the pictures of people displaying what they say are scars that now cover wounds of torture. Torture, which they all said was inflicted upon their bodies by an agent of the state in a dark room of some safe house.
You have read the stories of how people have died in the custody of people who identified themselves as security personnel. Everyday, one of the national newspapers or numerous radios carry a story of someone who says he was arrested and then tortured.
You have read about the detention of people in ungazetted premises. Just the other day High Court in Kampala slammed a Shs 200 million fine in damages on government because some people were illegally held in Gulu barracks.
Why does this thing keep up coming up if there is no truth in the allegations? Last week parliament heard that reptiles and other vicious wildlife have become the latest instrument of terror against suspects. When the House committee on Defence and Internal Affairs visited Kigo Government Prison, they were horrified by what they saw and heard.
Suspects, and these are the ones whose injuries have been sanitised, talked of how they were cruelly abused, how they were violated in the most primitive of ways conceivable.
The Kigo prisoners told a story that would not be misplaced in a recount of the horrendous activities of Uganda's ex-dictator Idi Amin's brutal State Research Bureau. Many of them, if what they say are proved to be the facts, have lost their ability to procreate.
In Gulu prison, we have heard about how suspected rebels are beaten senseless and starved of food for days. You remember the story of "Black" the ruthless thug who, in spite of the fact, was deprived of his rights to a fair trial and not to be tortured. His death shortly after being arrested must have been an ironical relief from the pain his jailers inflicted on him.
You remember what happened in the run up to the presidential elections in 2001. Supporters of candidates other then the incumbent would suddenly disappear and upon return their story was always the same. They all said they were grabbed by security teams from any of the ubiquitous intelligence agencies, driven blindfold to some hideaway and subjected to the most humiliating and debasing treatment.
Why, I ask you sir, do these stories keep coming up? Why colonel, is it that this government, that prides itself on being above the primitive behaviour of the past regimes have to fight off allegations of vile human rights abuse?
Security is tricky business and all peace-loving Ugandans are grateful that peace and stability have been returned to many parts of the country. They are grateful because someone is looking out for them when they go to bed at night.
But we wonder why that peace has to be enjoyed at such a high cost. Ugandans appreciate that there are some ill-minded characters who want to bring harm to their person and property. They would not lose any sleep if such characters were locked up for a long time.
But do you think Ugandans are happy that some people, who later turn out to be as innocent as some priests I know, end up in water-logged cells and are beaten blue-black? I don't think so.
Yes, you might reply that even the world's alleged number one defender of human rights, the United States, is abusing the rights of those ex-Taliban fighters being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. My answer to you is that yes, the United States has crossed the line on this one, but it has also been sensitive to the criticism they drew.
Also, we have not heard that any of the uncivilised things that are rumoured to take place in the holding cells of Uganda's security services taking place at Guantanamo.
Colonel Mayombo I do not accuse you, but merely ask you to tell the nation if this is the only way to guarantee the security of government?
