Lawyers Seek Apology from Gen Lokech over ‘Linking Islam to Murders, Terrorist ADF’

Maj Gen Lokech was quoted saying that those who have been involved in assassinations around the country are all members of the Allied Democratic Forces-ADF, an organisation which, according to him, is a group of Muslims.

“You can never join that organization if you are not a Muslim. If you are a Christian, they will convert you to Islam,” he said.

The statement emerged after the arrest of 12 suspects in the attempted murder of Gen Edward Katumba Wamala in June.  In relation to the arrests, Lokech emphasised that all the arrested suspects were Muslims.  But lawyer Nalukoola Luyimbazi told journalists in Kampala on Wednesday that Lokech’s statement means that ADF and Islam are synonymous and when you see Islam you have seen ADF.

He explains that Muslims are so scared to the extent that when a high profile murder happens in the country, whoever has a Muslim son has quickly ask them to return home very fast out of fear that he could be arrested as one of the suspects.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Lawyers association Saudah Nsereko told journalists that the statement was reckless and aimed at promoting hate against Muslims.

Speaking at the same press conference, the Publicity Secretary of the association Mahmoud Kakeeto disassociated Muslims from Allied Democratic Forces and said that individual crimes should never be blamed on the entire religion. The lawyers now want Major General Lokech to retract his words and also issue an apology to the Muslim fraternity

They add that in the event that they fail to get an apology, they will file an application to investigate the circumstances under which four of the arrested suspects were killed and another to discharge those in prison on grounds that they were tortured to confess to crimes.

The spokesperson of the Uganda Police Force Fred Enanga could not be reached for a comment on the matters raised by the lawyers. URN