We are shocked! Germany and UK withhold funds for corruption from Uganda at OPM office – PML Daily

Refugees queuing for meals in one of UNHCR's shelters (PHOTO / File)

In 2018, the United Nations found that millions of dollars of aid had been stolen in Uganda.
Now, Germany has partially halted its funding to force Uganda to speed up its investigations, PML Daily has learned.

According to the German news agency DW, the German government announced on Friday that it was holding back 400 billion UGX (106 million USD) of funds pledged in Kampala for the resettlement of refugees annually.

According to DW, this decision follows the decision by the UK in 2018 to suspend funding for Kampala after a UN investigation into the Ugandan refugee program uncovered evidence of corruption representing millions of dollars.

The scandal arose when a whistleblower in the Ugandan government informed the donors that large sums of money had been withdrawn from the account on which it had been deposited.

A joint investigation by the United Nations, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Ugandan Government then revealed that the number of refugees in Uganda was inflated and that resources to meet their needs had been increased. stolen.

The government has not yet announced the suspects, prompting donors to question the country's commitment to investigate the issue and, as a result, the decision of Germany and the United Kingdom to withhold funds .

Germany is "shocked"

The German ambbadador to Uganda, Albrecht Conze, said that Germany was shocked by the results of the investigation.

"I must admit that what happened last February, 15 months ago now, was a shock for Germany. Much more than a lot of the money also comes from private sources, from people who donate. When you make a donation and then hear that your donation has not been well spent or misappropriated, you become very unhappy, "Conze told DW.

Uganda officially hosts 1.3 million refugees and received $ 350 million from various donors in 2017.

For now, according to DW, Germany has decided to withhold funds directly from the Ugandan government until prosecution of the suspects, but will release funds to international organizations such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

International donors

Uganda is heavily dependent on aid from international donors to cope with the financial situation caused by refugees in the country.

Mr Conze reportedly asked for measures to restore confidence.

"We do not dispense [funds] until we saw that those who had been identified at the time were brought to justice and that they had to respond to the allegations that had been made at the time, "he said. -he declares.

"I'm a little surprised that it takes 15 months. I would not want to think that someone would like to sweep it under the rug. You can do it with your own money, but when you receive money from friends, I think your responsibility is increased, so I would expect the relevant authorities to take action here . "

The Ugandan Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Musa Echweru, said the investigation would be thorough and the culprits punished.

Musa Ecweru, Minister of State for Relief and Disaster Preparedness, described the decision of the German government as surprising. (PHOTO PML)

He however described the decision of the German government as a blow.

"The truth is that it will hurt our operations. There's still much to do. I only wish that they did not definitively adopt this position and it is my prayer ".

He said that Uganda would work hard to get Germany and other donors to understand that the investigation process could be slow, but that it was ongoing.

"There is evidence of those who did wrong. Some two, three people should be punished, so it will be implemented, "he said.

UK also stops funding

Four donors – Britain, Germany, the European Union and the United States – have provided nearly 80% of funding for 2017.

All threatened to withdraw their funding after the corruption charges were made.

In December 2017, 16 donor countries issued a statement calling for the prosecution of those responsible.

Germany is Uganda's second largest donor after the United Kingdom, which provides more than $ 19 million. The UK stopped funding in February.

New Humanitarian, the news site, wrote that the United Kingdom's Department for International Development had confirmed that funding for UNHCR in Uganda had been frozen.

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