ENTEBBE, UGANDA- April 17, 2023: A Nkumba University professor’s study on the 2020 Bobi Wine demonstrations in Uganda reveals controversial but important lessons on the use of deadly force by security agencies.
Dr. Anne Abaho’s research paper, titled ‘Balancing Human and State Security in Policing Demonstrations: Lessons Learned from the Bobi Wine Demonstrations in Uganda’, highlights four key lessons.
Firstly, the state has a duty to protect itself and the majority by using force if necessary.
Secondly, security agencies have a duty to safeguard citizens and their property by using force when needed.
Thirdly, security forces have a right to self-defense, including the use of deadly force.
Lastly, state and human security are complementary and should be balanced for a secure environment.
The controversial paper, which has been published in the Social Science and Humanities Journal at Nkumba University, argues that in modern times, there has been a shift from viewing security solely as protection of the sovereign state from external threats to also considering human security. The paper asserts that this shift presents a challenge in situations such as demonstrations, where law enforcement officials are tasked with balancing the protection of both state and human security.
The Bobi Wine Demos
In November 2020, Uganda experienced violent clashes between security agencies and protestors that resulted in between 50-100 deaths and left 11 security personnel injured.
The unrest was sparked by the arrest of opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Party (NUP), leading to riots, destruction of public property, and attacks on citizens.
The government responded with violence, resulting in the deaths and injuries of innocent bystanders.
Dr. Abaho observes that critics and pundits criticized the security forces for human rights violations and for failing to protect citizens, while indirectly advising them to abdicate their duty.
The lessons explained:
Dr. Abaho discusses four lessons related to the use of deadly force by security agencies in protecting the state and its citizens.
Lesson 1 emphasizes the duty and right to use force to protect the state from internal upheavals.
Lesson 2 highlights the duty and right to use deadly force to safeguard citizens and their property, with caution and proportionality.
Lesson 3 notes the duty of security forces to defend themselves in self-defense.
Lesson 4 underscores the complementary nature of the state and human security and the need to balance them for conflict prevention and dispute resolution.
She argues that the Bobi Wine protests were not peaceful but violent, and according to Uganda’s security agencies, they were pre-planned. The riots, staged by supporters of the opposition leader, were directed against the incumbent government and were politically motivated, with the goal of overthrowing the government by violent means.
She thus concludes that security agents are obliged, under such circumstances, to use more peaceful means to prevent and punish perpetrators under non-violent circumstances, they are enjoined by duty to use deadly force when it becomes necessary to ensure the security, rights, and liberties of its citizens under attack.
She says killing in self-defense is not considered murder or manslaughter because it is prompted by the law of self-preservation, inherent in every person’s nature.
“In situations where an attacker is armed and poses a threat to the safety of security agents on duty, the use of deadly force may be necessary to protect oneself,” she observes further.
Useful Conclusions
Drawing lessons from the 2020 Bobi Wine demonstrations, the article recommends that law enforcers should use force as a last resort measure when all other means have failed, to minimize the loss of innocent lives.
Both demonstrators and state agencies should understand the limits of violence, and the use of force by state agencies should be guided by principles of proportionality and legality.
The article has further highlighted the importance of balancing state security and human security in the policing of demonstrations, emphasizing the need to move away from the ancient perception of security as solely the safety of the sovereign political entity and towards a wider view that includes the safety and well-being of individuals.
The article has also discussed the abuse of citizens by states and the importance of advocating for human rights and liberties in security discussions. However, it is crucial to remember that individual rights must be enjoyed within the limits of the law for the stability of both the state and individuals.
In demonstrating the need to balance state and human security, the paper used the 2020 Bobi Wine demonstrations as a point of reference and the researcher depended on secondary sources for her data. Her full paper can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3GLSUuo
About Dr. Abaho
Dr. Abaho is the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Nkumba University. She holds a Ph.D. in Security Studies. Her research interests are in International and security issues.
Her teaching subjects include; Gender in International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, Security Issues in Great Lakes Region, Inter-Governmental Organizations in Security, Globalization and World Order, and Introduction to International Relations.
