In this week’s AML blog piece, Michael examines Uganda’s ongoing enforced disappearances, highlighting the abduction of opposition supporters and critics, often by unidentified state operatives. He observes that despite being party to international conventions and having strong constitutional protections, Uganda continues to violate fundamental rights with impunity. He further details legal efforts, ignored court orders, and the involvement of senior officials, arguing that the state must be held accountable for arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions.

Recently, the Parliament of Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill (AHB) with the objective of establishing, amongst other things, “comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect the traditional family by strengthening the nation’s capacity to deal with emerging internal and external threats to the traditional heterosexual family.” In this article, Dr. Sylvie Namwase argues that the continued cycle of human rights violations in Uganda falls within the broader context of authoritarian control, and will soon affect other minority groups.

An analysis of the Ugandan Parliament’s latest attempt to further criminalise consensual same-sex relations reveals the shortfalls of the Sexual Offences Bill, 2019.