Uganda’s President Museveni’s Reign of Terror is Aided by the U.S. (Toward Freedom – May 1)
Some Washington insiders are now calling for the re-evaluation of US support for the dictator. Jeffrey Smith, director of the advocacy nonprofit Vanguard Africa, told World Politics Review this January that, “There needs to be a review of U.S. policy towards Uganda, including a comprehensive review of the millions of dollars we provide on an annual basis to their security forces and military.”
With Violence Continuing There, Is It Safe to #VisitUganda (Fodor’s Travel Magazine – May 5)
This is not the first time that dictators and tourism ministers have “tried to use mega-events to launder their images,” pointed out U.S. human rights activist Jeffrey Smith, the founding director of Vanguard Africa, which works on issues related to public advocacy (and who also works with Bobi Wine). Smith gave the example of a 2014 scrapped performance by Grammy-award-winning American singer Erykah Badu for Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh. Smith had encouraged social media users on January 29 to take over the #VisitUganda hashtag before the MTV event in Kampala was canceled.
Biden Halts Drone Attacks, Offers a New Strategy for Africa (Globe and Mail – April 29)
“Today, there is a sense that, while we may disagree on policy strategy, there is a fundamental agreement, across the board, that democracy and human rights are important - not just morally and ethically, but also for U.S. national security and for our standing in the world,” said Jeffrey Smith, founding director of Vanguard Africa, a pro-democracy advocacy group.
Business-seeking singer Akon draws political fire in Uganda (Associated Press - April 13)
The American rap artist and singer Akon is helping to rehabilitate longtime President Yoweri Museveni’s reputation after an election earlier this year marred by violence, an internet shutdown and allegations of vote rigging, the U.S. based groups Human Rights Foundation and Vanguard Africa said in a joint letter to Akon shared late Monday.
Chad Awaits Results in ‘Sham’ Presidential Election (Deutsche Welle – April 12)
Comprehensive Report on Abductions and Human Rights Violations in Uganda (March 17, 2021)
On Wednesday, March 17, Vanguard Africa and our partners, including Honorable MP Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), hosted a virtual press conference to detail the findings of a new and comprehensive report on human rights violations in Uganda. While the report only includes documented and verified evidence, the numbers of abductions and killings ongoing in Uganda are likely much higher. Among the more startling figures:
*423 abducted by the state
*158 abducted, brought to military court
*41 abducted, but since resurfaced
*19 murdered during the election campaign
*12 murdered before the election
Uganda Defiant as US Threatens Sanctions Over Contested Elections (Radio France International – February 24)
“It is long past due for the United States to revamp and overhaul its policy towards Uganda,” said Jeffrey Smith, founding director of Vanguard Africa, a US-based non-profit, which works on governance.
“General Museveni is a military dictator who has used every tool at his disposal, for nearly four decades now, to deny democracy to Ugandans,” added Smith, who has worked with Bobi Wine for several years.
Bobi Wine’s Man in Washington Presses Biden, MTV to Rethink Support for Uganda (Foreign Lobby – February 4)
Bobi Wine‘s man in Washington harbors no illusions that President Yoweri Museveni will quietly step down after three and a half decades in power.
Instead, Jeffrey Smith‘s mission is at once simpler and more ambitious: Keeping his pop star-turned-opposition leader client — and the dreams of countless people he has inspired across Africa — alive as he challenges the results of last month’s election that saw Museveni win a sixth term in office.
Will the U.S. Still Back Uganda’s Museveni Despite Another Sham Election? (World Politics Review - January 25)
In Washington, Jeffrey Smith, founding director of the advocacy nonprofit Vanguard Africa, has doubled down on calls for the government to reevaluate its dealings with Uganda. “There needs to be a review of U.S. policy towards Uganda, including a comprehensive review of the millions of dollars we provide on an annual basis to their security forces and military,” said Smith, who has worked closely with Wine for the past three years, connecting him with journalists and politicians in the U.S.