UgandaToday: Stella Nyanzi Urges UN Working Group to Intervene in Disappearance of Lina Zedriga and Jolly Jackline Tukamushabe
Exiled Renowned Ugandan academic and human rights activist Dr. Stella Nyanzi has called upon the United Nations Working Group against Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) to urgently intervene in the unresolved disappearance of opposition leaders Lina Zedriga Waru Abuku and Jolly Jackline Tukamushabe, whom she says were abducted and forcibly disappeared during what she describes as Uganda’s “sham elections.”
In a strongly worded statement, Nyanzi drew parallels between her own experience of abduction and disappearance in 2017 and the current ordeal facing the two National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders.
“I Was Abducted Too” — Nyanzi Recalls Her 2017 Ordeal
“When I was abducted and disappeared in 2017, the United Nations Working Group against Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) was petitioned on my behalf. Shortly thereafter, I was vomited into Uganda’s carceral system,” Nyanzi wrote.
She underscored that international pressure previously played a key role in forcing Ugandan authorities to acknowledge her detention, and believes similar action could help expose the fate of the two missing leaders.
Habeas Corpus Applications Ignored, Leaders Still Missing
Nyanzi noted that despite habeas corpus applications being filed in court, the whereabouts of Lina Zedriga Waru Abuku and Jolly Jackline Tukamushabe remain unknown—an alarming indicator of enforced disappearance.
“Comrades Lina Zedriga Waru Abuku and Jolly Jacklyn Tukamushaba were abducted and disappeared during the sham elections. Despite habeus corpus applications, their whereabouts remain unknown. Two adult Ugandan women leaders remain MISSING in Uganda!!”
Call for Broader International Pressure
Beyond UNWGAD, Nyanzi called for pressure to be mounted on other international bodies capable of enforcing accountability, not merely documenting violations.
“Perhaps, the pressure should be mounted to other international bodies that not only document the violation but can also make Uganda accountable.”
Growing Concerns Over Enforced Disappearances in Uganda
The disappearance of the two NUP leaders has sparked renewed condemnation from civil society organizations, legal practitioners, and political actors, who accuse the Ugandan state of using enforced disappearances as a tool to silence dissent.
Human rights groups warn that such practices violate Uganda’s Constitution, regional treaties, and international conventions to which the country is a signatory.
A Test of Uganda’s Commitment to Rule of Law
As calls grow louder for international intervention, activists say the fate of Lina Zedriga Waru Abuku and Jolly Jackline Tukamushabe has become a litmus test for Uganda’s commitment to the rule of law, transparency, and respect for fundamental human rights.
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