NUP Honors Victims of 2020 State Killings

(Kampala) – The National Unity Platform (NUP) held a prayer service to remember the over 150 Ugandans killed by security forces during the November 2020 unrest. The victims, including schoolchildren, were gunned down during protests sparked by the violent arrest of opposition leader Bobi Wine.

On November 18 and 19, 2020, security forces killed at least 150 civilians in an event that shocked the nation. The victims, many of whom were unarmed protesters, died in what has been described as a massacre orchestrated by the government during the tense presidential election campaigns. Bobi Wine, leader of the NUP, and his supporters have marked these days every year to honor the fallen and demand justice.

Bobi Wine expressed deep sympathy for the families of the victims during the prayer service at the NUP headquarters. He emphasized that despite the government’s promises, the families of the victims have received no compensation and that efforts to seek justice have been blocked. “In December 2020, a team of lawyers working to uncover the truth about the killings was abducted and later prosecuted,” Bobi Wine said. He highlighted the continuing struggle for justice, urging that the lives lost will not be forgotten, and pledging to fight against impunity and oppression.

The November killings followed the violent arrest of Bobi Wine, which sparked widespread protests. Many victims were shot during peaceful demonstrations in Kampala and other parts of the country. Among the fallen was 14 year old Amos Ssegawa, a student at Lubiri Secondary School, who was shot in front of his mother. This incident remains a symbol of the brutality witnessed during those days. “The massacre was a dark day that shattered dreams and took away innocent lives,” a spokesperson for the NUP said during the prayer gathering.

Families of the victims shared their stories, describing the deep grief and trauma they have faced since the deaths of their loved ones. Some relatives recounted the physical and emotional scars left by the violence. Zubeda, a survivor from West Nile, displayed her prosthetic leg, a reminder of the gunshot wound she sustained at the hands of police officers.

The National Unity Platform has been actively supporting the families of the victims by helping them cope with their grief. This includes providing psychological support and educational assistance to the children of the victims, helping them continue their studies despite the trauma they have experienced.

Despite the ongoing struggle, the NUP remains hopeful that justice will eventually be served. They have continued to advocate for the families of the victims and push for accountability. Bobi Wine, in his statement, expressed his optimism that “someday, justice will prevail,” echoing the words of Martin Luther King Jr. that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”