EU delegation head blames fake news for standoff with Uganda

EU delegation at NRM offices

Attilio Pacifici made the comments while paying a courtesy visit to the NRM Party headqauters at plot 10 Kyaddondo road on Wednesday Feb 17, 2021.

Pacific was received by the NRM party Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba among other senior National Resistance Movement (NRM) party leaders.

Pacifici expressed his concern over the growing spread of fake news which he says has created diplomatic standoff between the Government of Uganda and the EU.

“Someone is creating problems between the European Union and the Government. There is a lot of false information circulating and this is spoiling our relationship that has existed for the last four years,” Pacifici said.

Regarding the recently concluded elections, NRM Secretary General Lumumba assured the delegation that the exercise was free and fair.

“In the presence of my colleagues like the NRM Deputy Secretary General, Hon. Richard Todwong, we want to assure you that we had a peaceful election on January, 14th 2021,” Lumumba said.

Shortly after addressing the media, the two parties later held a closed door bi-lateral talks focusing on Democracy, elections, human rights violations that were amplified by the media, poverty, sectarian offensive utterances among other things.

The meeting comes after the conclusion of the general elections that were largely won by the ruling party.

But the victory of the NRM and President Museveni has been rejected by his biggest challenger Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and has taken him to the supreme. Court asking for nulfication of the result.

The EU parliament in a stinging critique of the elections results, said they considered the polls to be undemocratic because of the harassment of opposition challengers especially Kyagulanyi, by Security agents.

On Wednesday, Sam Kutesa, the minister of foreign affairs, in a letter to the head of the European Parliament said that the resolution is in many aspects both surprising and of utmost concern.

“On the threat of sanctions, referred to in the resolution, the government of Uganda views the threat as regrettable, unwanted and an unwelcome and barely disguised attempt to intimidate officials entrusted with ensuring the security and wellbeing of all Ugandans into shirking from their responsibility,” Kutesa said in the Feb. 15 letter.

“While we are aware that it is the prerogative of the EU member countries to determine who travels to their respective territories or does business thereon, we do not think that sanctions would be a helpful gesture or measure and it is our hope that those advocating it will reconsider their stance,” part of the letter read.

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