Owiny-Dollo hits back at critics of Otunnu’s UN Secretary General bid

What the report says

Former Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo Chigamoi has urged Ugandans to back Olara Otunnu’s campaign for United Nations Secretary-General and to ignore criticism aimed at the former UN official’s candidacy. According to The Independent Uganda, Owiny-Dollo made the remarks on Friday at the homecoming celebration for retired Lt. Gen. Charles Otema Awany in Gulu City, where he framed Otunnu’s bid as a chance for national unity rather than division.

The article says Owiny-Dollo described the debate around Otunnu as publicity that should not derail support for a Ugandan seeking the UN’s top job. He also argued that the nomination had drawn people together across political, religious and ethnic lines, and said support had come from figures and parties including the Buganda kingdom, the Uganda People’s Congress, the Democratic Party and the National Unity Platform. He called on supporters not to respond to social media attacks.

The Independent Uganda reported that Owiny-Dollo viewed President Yoweri Museveni’s decision to nominate Otunnu as a sign of statesmanship and a gesture that could encourage reconciliation. Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II also welcomed the endorsement, describing it as an act of forgiveness.

Otunnu, a former UN under-secretary-general and a longtime critic of Museveni, joined the race in July, according to the report. The story places his candidacy among eight contenders for the post, highlighting the significance of the bid for Uganda’s diplomatic profile.