Amsterdam & Partners LLP Files Applications on Behalf of Uganda’s NUP and Tanzania’s CHADEMA, Respectively, Calls for Immediate Commonwealth Suspensions

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amsterdam & Partners LLP today confirms that it has submitted applications on behalf of the National Unity Platform (NUP) of Uganda and Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) of Tanzania requesting the immediate suspension of both countries from the Commonwealth pending compliance with the Commonwealth Charter and the Harare Declaration.

The applications are submitted as the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) prepares to review conditions previously set for both governments ahead of its next meeting on 7 March 2026. While the Commonwealth has sought compliance through engagement and dialogue, continued membership without suspension while systemic violations persist risks undermining the authority and credibility of the Commonwealth’s own legal and political framework.

The submissions argue that Uganda and Tanzania are responsible for serious and persistent breaches of the Commonwealth Charter, including violations of democratic governance, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the rule of law. These violations also represent a sustained failure to uphold the principles and aspirations enshrined in the Harare Declaration, including free and fair political participation and the protection of fundamental rights.

The applications further recall that the Commonwealth has already established precedent for suspension in circumstances of election-related violence and democratic breakdown, including the suspension of Zimbabwe in 2002. The same institutional standards must now be applied consistently. The situation in Uganda follows a disputed election marked by repression, while in Tanzania escalating political persecution has culminated in the arbitrary detention of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

In particular, the submission highlights the recent Opinion No. 74/2025 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, issued following an application by Amsterdam & Partners LLP, which found Mr. Lissu’s detention to be arbitrary and in violation of international law, and called for his immediate release, compensation, as well as an independent investigation. The application on behalf of CHADEMA therefore urges the Commonwealth to include Mr. Lissu’s immediate release as a clear and non-negotiable condition in any ongoing engagement with Tanzania.

While Commonwealth envoys have previously identified core conditions for progress, including full cooperation with fact-finding processes, respect for fundamental rights, electoral and legislative reform, and accountability for political violence, the application notes that meaningful compliance with these requirements cannot occur while governments remain shielded from consequences. Suspension should therefore apply until tangible and verifiable compliance is demonstrated.

Robert Amsterdam, Founder and Managing Partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP, states:

“The Commonwealth cannot preserve the authority of the Charter and the Harare Declaration while allowing member states engaged in systemic repression to remain in good standing. Suspension is an enforcement mechanism intended to protect the integrity of the institution itself.

The Commonwealth has acted before when elections were overshadowed by violence and democratic norms collapsed. Uganda and Tanzania now present precisely the kind of situation that those precedents were designed to address. With respect to Tanzania, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has confirmed to us that Tundu Lissu’s detention is unlawful under international law. In Uganda, the post-election environment demonstrates ongoing repression and the erosion of democratic space. The Commonwealth must act consistently and decisively.”

The applications call on CMAG to impose immediate suspension measures on Uganda and Tanzania until concrete steps are taken to meet Commonwealth standards, including protection of opposition rights, accountability for political violence, and full compliance with international human rights obligations.

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm specialising in human rights and political advocacy, based in London and Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.amsterdamandpartners.com. Media enquiries may be directed to [e-mail].