Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa has said the country cannot take blame for the US failure to observer last month’s general elections.
Kutesa’s remarks are contained in a statement issued in response to the European Union Parliament decision to adopt resolutions among which call for sanctions to be imposed on Ugandan individuals over human rights violations.
“The US Government as per custom was invited to observe the elections but ultimately did not deploy the 68 observers that were accredited by the Electoral Commission,” Kutesa said.
A day before the presidential elections, US Ambassador to Uganda Natalie E. Brown announced that the US would not be providing election observers after they failed to agree with the EC over the number.
Kutesa’s statement comes days after the country’s President Yoweri Museveni hit out at the EU saying no Ugandan or African is dying to go to Europe.
“In the papers, they are talking that some officials (Ugandans) who should not travel to Europe. Well, I need a lot of persuasion to leave Uganda. I normally do it for friendship,” Museveni said.
He added, “Thinking that we are dying to travel to other countries, is something that shows some lack of seriousness.”