Women march against police brutality in Uganda

Women march against police brutality in Uganda

2011-05-10 04:12:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

KAMPALA, UGANDA (BNO NEWS) -- Women activists on Monday took to the streets of the Ugandan capital of Kampala to protest the security forces' brutal response to recent demonstrations against soaring cost of living.

The New Vision newspaper reported that women marched through the streets carrying placards reading "Stop police brutality", "Women in Uganda want peace", and "Stop shooting our babies during riots."

The group of women also issued a statement, which will also be sent to the President, to the UN Rapporteur for Human Rights, Margaret Ssekaggya. The women are urging the Ugandan government to take critical measures to address the key issues raised by the public so as to avert a national crisis.

The women's march comes two days after lawyers ended a three-day strike over police and military brutality in quelling walk-to-work protests.

Human Rights Watch on Sunday urged the Ugandan government to conduct an independent investigation into the use of lethal force by security forces during demonstrations that took place over several days in April. The New York-based organization said that at least nine unarmed people were killed by government forces.

The recent protests in Uganda began on April 11 after activists protested escalating food and fuel costs. According to police, over 100 people have been injured and over 600 have been arrested countrywide since the unrest began.

On April 29, violence erupted after Uganda's opposition leader Kizza Besigye was arrested by police, who smashed his car windows before pushing him into the back of a pick-up truck. He had been arrested before after he led similar protests.

President Museveni says the soaring costs are due to inflation and meteorological and global economic factors. Protesters, however, claim that the government is to blame.

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