Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to determine the number of Ugandans currently held in foreign prisons. This directive was issued during a parliamentary session on August 6, 2024, shortly after the presentation of a report on prisoner exchanges between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The report, presented by Catherine Lamwaka, the MP for Omoro District, was in response to a previous directive from Tayebwa. He had earlier requested an update on the progress of the prisoner swap agreement between Uganda and the DRC, a mechanism intended to facilitate the return of prisoners between the two countries.
Tayebwa emphasized the importance of the Foreign Affairs Minister providing a detailed update on Ugandans imprisoned abroad and the efforts being made to assist their return. He noted that while it is crucial to work on their return, the focus should also be on providing any necessary support to these individuals.
Concerns were raised by several lawmakers, including shadow foreign affairs minister Muwadda Nkunyingi and Godfrey Onzima, MP for Aringa North. Onzima highlighted a case involving Maliamungu Rasul, who was detained in Beni, a location not previously mentioned in the discussions. He learned about this issue through a local contact in Kasese who had visited a relative in prison in Beni.
Nkunyingi criticized the foreign affairs ministry and the diplomatic mission in the DRC, suggesting that the situation might have been better managed if the ministry and its officials were more active. He pointed out that the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Jeje Odongo, along with state ministers John Mulimba and Henry Okello Oryem, have been notably absent from addressing these issues. Furthermore, he noted the lack of a substantive ambassador to the DRC, with the previous ambassador potentially not having been accredited.
Documents reviewed by the Public News Paper show that as of November 2022, there were 135 Ugandan nationals detained in various prisons in the DRC. The distribution included 13 in Makala prison in Kinshasa, 64 in Ndolo prison, 32 in Goma central prison, and 26 in Bunia.
In response to these concerns, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Jacob Marksons Oboth Oboth called for caution, stating that not all claims of Ugandan citizenship might be accurate. He suggested that the involvement of the defence, internal affairs, and foreign affairs committees might be necessary, while also noting that Ambassador Twaha Matata is actively engaged in addressing these issues.
Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka discussed the complexity of the situation, highlighting the lack of a direct extradition framework. He pointed to the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), an inter-governmental organization of twelve African countries, as a potential avenue for addressing extradition issues. The ICGLR treaty, which Uganda ratified in 2018, provides a framework for dealing with such matters.
