Uganda suspends more than 50 rights groups, citing non-compliance

Authorities say the decision was made because the NGOs failed to comply with legislation covering their activities.

Authorities in Uganda have suspended more than 50 civic groups for allegedly not complying with regulations, dealing a blow to hundreds of thousands of people who directly benefit from the organisations’ activities. The suspensions, which target agencies ranging from rights watchdogs to women’s groups, were announced on Friday by the government’s Non-Governmental Organization Bureau. “We have halted their operations,” the bureau’s Chairman Steve Okello said.