Following a high wave of pressure and criticism from Western governments especially the European Union and American Congressmen, President Museveni has skipped the UN General Assembly and instead delegated Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda.
The 73rd session of the UN Assembly is sitting in New York starting today and it has been the habit for Presidents of member countries to attend and address the congregation.
Reports emerging from State House indicate that Rugunda will lead the team of 15 officials as the president has “more important issues to attend to.”
“The President told Cabinet that it was pointless to travel to New York when he was going to address the assembly for only 15 minutes. It is also costly in a way that each time he travels, he is accompanied by a big delegation. Cabinet endorsed the decision and the records are there,” junior Foreign Affairs Minister, Henry Okello Oryem told the media.
However, Museveni’s critics say that the president is skipping the Assembly due to fear of getting grilled for human rights violations such as the alleged torture of opposition politicians such as Bobi Wine and Francis Zaake.
“He knew he was not going to have an easy time and the pressure that has been boiling up was going to unleashed on him at the UN,” lawyer Andrew Karamagi told Matooke Republic.
With Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) still in the US until Thursday where he has been recovering for alleged torture orchestrated by security forces and Zaake in India, Karamagi adds that Museveni could not risk a seeming very hostile international community.