Ugandan women strip naked after police disperse belated women’s day fete

Chaos erupted in Soroti City in eastern Uganda after police on Friday blocked a belated Women’s Day celebrations forcing some attendees to strip.
The event organized by the Soroti city and district women MPs, Ms Joan Alobo and Ms Anna Adeke Ebaju, respectively was meant to take place at Soroti sports ground.

The two MPs are members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, one of the Opposition parties in Uganda whose events have overtime been targeted by security operatives, with police accusing organisers of not being authorized to hold public assemblies.

Dokolo Woman MP, Ms Cecilia Atim Ogwal had been invited as the chief guest.

Ordinarily, the International Women’s Day celebrations are held on March 8. However, the district local governments always postpone their celebrations and reschedule later at an opportune time when the resources allow.
For Soroti city, the women MPs had scheduled April 14, for hosting their celebrations.
However, security operatives commanded by the Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Peter Pex Paak blocked the celebrations and engaged in running battles with attendees and organizers, arguing that the event was not authorized by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

This prompted some of the women who were supposed to attend the event to strip before the security operatives in protest.
“We cannot believe this. How could you stop us when we are gathering for a lawful cause and to celebrate the nature and the efforts of women, mothers that gave birth to a man and have contributed significantly towards the development of this country!” one of the women shouted.

Adding, “There’s no man without a woman. You should respect us as your mothers and open the way for our happiness.”
Ms Alobo said that police blocked them because they subscribe to opposition parties.
“It’s on record, the RCC vowed that he would never allow opposition leaders to organise public ceremonies in Soroti city and for this particular celebration he wants the speaker of Parliament to grace the occasion because she gives them dollars,” Ms Alobo said.

Ms Adeke accused the government of hijacking public holidays and turning them into National Resistance Movement (NRM) days and used to discuss party ideology at the expense of services to the citizens.
“We are tired of this mess. If we cannot be allowed to celebrate our day today, we shall not allow any other related celebrations here in Soroti because the NRM government has made it a norm to turn national days into NRM days. We cannot allow that,” Ms Adeke said.
Armed security operatives who were deployed to patrol the venue, independence square, city streets and other open green spaces in the city under the command of Mr Paak blocked the women from accessing the venue and routinely dispersed them.

Mr Paak, however, accused Ms Alobo of organizing the event against the district local government plans.
“This day is an international day and whenever there are national celebrations, a national committee is constituted. They decide on which district to host, they decide on the guest of honor and they decide on the Theme,” he said.
Ironically, similar events organized by the ruling NRM politicians across the country have been going on smoothly under armed security protection. 

Mr Paak also claimed that the Women’s Day celebrations could not be held because the police, prisons and UPDF officers had not done the drills and that there was no money to facilitate the event.
Mr Oscar Greg Ageca, the police spokesperson in the region said that the function was illegal and that they had deployed to enforce law and order.
“There’s nothing wrong with converging to celebrate Women’s Day but you must meet the legal requirements,” Mr Ageca said.
He said the organisers did not seek police permission to hold the event.

This comes just hours after the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Nobert Mao yesterday said police and the sister security agencies are misinterpreting the Public Order Management Act and unfairly enforcing it against Opposition members. Mao's comments come amid growing concern by members of the opposition whose party activities have been blocked, sometimes violently.