Mirjam Blaak

Last updated
Mirjam Blaak
Mirjam Blaak (cropped).jpg
Blaak in 2013
Ugandan Ambassador to Belgium
Incumbent
Assumed office
2013
Personal details
Born1956 (age 68–69)
The Netherlands
CitizenshipUganda
Political party National Resistance Movement
Spouse
Ronald Batta
​
(died 2004)​
Children2

Mirjam Blaak (born 1956) is the Netherlands-born Ugandan Ambassador to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the EU. [1] [2] [3] She is a member of the National Resistance Movement, the party led by Yoweri Museveni that has been in power since 1986. [4]

Contents

Education & Career

Blaak earned a Master of Laws degree at Utrecht University before working as a Protection Officer with UNHCR in Nairobi. [5] When she became Deputy Ambassador to Brussels in 2003, she voluntarily relinquished her Dutch citizenship to become a Ugandan citizen. [1]

She married NRM fighter Ronald Batta (1950–2004), and they had two sons. [6] [1] Before Museveni came to power, she helped Janet Museveni and her children get asylum in Sweden. She has defended Ugandan human rights violations and the presence of safe houses in Uganda. [7]

Controversy

Blaak has downplayed the use of safe houses for human rights violation in Uganda: "I know there are safe houses, but I don't know if people are tortured there. I think safe houses exist everywhere, not just in Uganda". [7]

At the International Court of Justice, where she represented Uganda, she denied that human rights violations were a daily occurrence in Uganda. The Ugandan house and office of the whistleblower were raided shortly after. [8]

When Muhammad Ssegirinya was admitted to the Alexandra Medical Center for treatment of his torture wounds, she told a journalist "What he is being treated for does not indicate torture". [9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Ambassador of Uganda, H.E. Ms. Mirjam Blaak". Diplomat Magazine. July 10, 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Embassy of the Republic of Uganda to the Kingdoms of Belgium & The Netherlands, The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and The European Union". Embassy of the Republic of Uganda. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  3. ↑ Ntale, Samson; Doornebal, Arne (July 22, 2014). "Uganda's only Mzungu ambassador who saved Mbabazi, Rugunda's lives". The Observer. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Curriculum" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "Blaak markets Uganda in Europe". New Vision. July 3, 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  6. ↑ Matsiko, Grace; Kadama, Diana (April 13, 2004). "Dr. Batta Healed Museveni's Liver". New Vision. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
  7. 1 2 Doornebal, Arne (2020). Oeganda onder president Museveni : hij verdreef een dictator. wordt hij er nu zelf één?. Koert Lindijer (Eerste druk ed.). Leeuwarden: Elikser Uitgeverij. p. 198. ISBN   978-94-6365-290-2. OCLC   1232238230.
  8. ↑ Pijnappels, Kees (2020-03-28). "'ICC geeft ons valse hoop'". Het Advocatenblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-09-06.
  9. ↑ van der Meulen, Tony (2023-08-31). "Martelingen in Oeganda maar de ambassadeur kijkt de andere kant op". Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-11-06.
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