The outgoing US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has warned Uganda that Uncle Sam is watching the electoral process in the run up to next year’s general elections.
Pompeo’s remarks are contained in a tweet on Thursday in which he also said, “We expect our partners to live up to their obligations to hold free and fair elections.”
“The United States is a longstanding partner of Uganda. We expect our partners to live up to their obligations to hold free and fair elections. We are paying close attention to the actions of individuals who seek to impede the ongoing democratic process,” Pompeo tweeted.
Pompeo’s veiled warning came a day after Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, called on the Trump Administration to take immediate action to address what he called “a worsening human rights situation in Uganda prior to general elections next month.”
In a letter to Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Engel underscored the need for the United States to provide robust support to human rights defenders and prevent further abuses perpetrated by Ugandan security forces against the country’s citizens.
“My desire to see a better human rights record in Uganda is firmly rooted in the country’s own constitution and legal code, which prevent torture and enshrine the right to freely assemble and express viewpoints that may not be in accordance with those of President Museveni,” wrote Engel.
Pompeo, a former United States Army officer and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from January 2017 until April 2018, is expected to exit the political stage in the US in January when Joe Biden takes over the country’s presidency.
