11/09/2025
Announcing The Uganda Diaspora Day of Protest in Canada Happening on Saturday, September 13, 2025 | Dundas Square, Toronto | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
We invite all Ugandans in Canada and friends of Uganda to join this peaceful demonstration calling for accountability, human rights, and democratic governance in Uganda.
Why we protest
• Abductions, torture, forced disappearances, and indefinite detentions of civilians and political opponents under the Museveni regime.
• Repression of peaceful political party activities ahead of elections, undermining democratic legitimacy.
• Deteriorating economy, rising unemployment, and increasing cost of living affecting everyday Ugandans.
• The urgent need for international attention and action to end cycles of violence and impunity.
Canada’s leverage and relevance:
• Canada maintains a long-standing commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and is a respected voice in global governance, multilateral institutions, and development partnerships.
• Canadian policy emphasizes human rights protections, civic space, and accountable governance as conditions for ongoing and future aid, trade facilitation, and development programs.
• Diaspora communities are important bridges for people-to-people ties, humanitarian support, and democratic advocacy, enhancing Canada’s soft power and credibility on international human rights issues.
What Canada can actively do to support Ugandans in Canada and the Ugandan people:
• Diplomatic signaling: Use principled diplomacy to urge Uganda to uphold human rights and democratic norms, including public statements, démarches, and engagement through bilateral and multilateral venues.
• Aid conditionality and governance support: Tie portions of development assistance and partnership programs to concrete human rights improvements, rule-of-law reforms, and credible electoral processes.
• Human rights monitoring: Encourage independent monitoring by credible international and civil society actors; support transparent reporting mechanisms to inform policy and public awareness.
• Civil society protection: Promote civic space funding and support for Ugandan-led civil society, journalists, and legal aid, both domestically in Canada and through international channels.
• Trade and investment signaling: Use trade and development channels to incentivize reforms while avoiding unintended consequences that could harm ordinary Ugandans.
What we are calling for:
• Immediate, unconditional release of all political prisoners and detainees unjustly detained for exercising democratic rights.
• Targeted sanctions on individuals responsible for human rights abuses, corruption, and repression, including impact assessments to minimize unintended harm to civilians.
• Diplomatic pressure from the Canadian government urging Uganda to uphold human rights, civic space, and democratic norms.
• International engagement to support free, fair, and peaceful elections in 2026, including credible observation and transparency measures.
Your voice matters. By gathering peacefully, we can advocate for accountability, dignity, and a credible path to a free and democratic Uganda. Please join us in Canada on September 13, 2025.
In solidarity,
Dr. Daniel Kawuma
NUP Diaspora Team Leader
Email: [email protected]
