Dr Lina Zedriga, National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President for Northern Uganda, has resurfaced after nearly a month incommunicado and appeared before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Gulu this morning.
Zedriga was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Augustine Alule, charged with inciting violence and remanded until February 17. Her court appearance comes after weeks of uncertainty and rising political tension following her disappearance ahead of polling day in the national presidential elections.
During her absence, NUP leaders repeatedly alleged that she had been abducted by the military and held at an undisclosed detention facility, claims that intensified national and regional concern. Earlier, leaders from the West Nile region issued an emotional appeal to government authorities demanding answers over her disappearance.
Speaking on behalf of the Lugbara community, Ismail Tuku, Lugbara Prime Minister, said Zedriga’s prolonged absence had caused deep anxiety among her family and the wider community, describing the situation as unacceptable and culturally alarming.
Tuku linked Zedriga’s case to other unresolved disappearances of Lugbara individuals, including Yetiya Tom from Marachakla and Angulubo from Waringa, who vanished under mysterious circumstances in previous years and were never traced.
He explained that in Lugbara culture, disappearances are traditionally attributed to identifiable causes, such as drowning, wildfire, snakebite, murder, or, in the case of a mature woman, marriage, but stressed that the length of Zedriga’s absence far exceeded the culturally acceptable period for establishing any such cause.
Meanwhile, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has categorically denied any involvement. Addressing the matter, Chris Magezi, Acting Defence Public Information Officer, said the army was not aware of any formally reported cases involving missing NUP members.
“The army is not aware of any formally reported cases regarding missing NUP members,” Magezi said, urging the opposition party to pursue recognised security and judicial channels. He further dismissed the claims, describing NUP’s allegations of missing party members as “a wave of drama.”
Zedriga’s sudden reappearance in court is expected to rekindle debate over enforced disappearances, the conduct of security agencies during election periods, and the shrinking space for opposition politics as the country awaits the commencement of proceedings in Gulu.
