EXPLAINER: How sanctions on individuals work

The US Department of State has imposed sanctions on five current and former Ugandan officials, including Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, former Minister of Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu, former Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu, Minister of State for Finance Amos Lugolobi, and former Deputy Chief of the Ugandan Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Peter Elwelu, for their involvement in significant corruption and gross violations of human rights.

“The Department of State is publicly designating these five individuals for their involvement in significant corruption or gross violations of human rights,” said Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson.

“Speaker of Parliament Anita Among is designated due to her involvement in significant corruption tied to her leadership of Uganda’s Parliament. Former Minister of Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu, former Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu, and Minister of State for Finance Amos Lugolobi are being designated due to their involvement in significant corruption related to conduct that misused public resources and diverted materials from Uganda’s neediest communities. Peter Elwelu, former Deputy Chief of the UPDF, is designated due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights, specifically extrajudicial killings committed by members of the UPDF.”

The sanctions include numerous restrictions, including financial transactions, travel, and the use of assets.

According to Sanctions.com, sanctions against individuals are typically imposed as a response to actions such as human rights abuses, weapons proliferation, corruption, and terrorism and are becoming more commonplace. However, these sanctions have positive and negative impacts and are considered controversial in many circles.

Types of Sanctions against Individuals

In order to pressure them to change their behavior or to hold them accountable for actions that violate international laws or norms, governments and organisations may impose sanctions against individuals, including:

• Economic Sanctions limit the financial activities of individuals, e.g. freezing or seizing their assets, restricting their financial transactions, and implementing a widespread ban that prohibits citizens or companies from conducting trade with the targeted individual.
• Travel restrictions prevent targeted individuals from travelling outside their country, including denying entry visas or revoking existing visas and restricting travel within their own country in order to limit their mobility.
• Asset freezes, including freezing their bank accounts, real estate and other financial assets so that the targeted individual is unable to access financial resources.

These types of sanctions can be extremely effective as they limit the individuals’ ability to carry out activities that violate international laws.

How sanctions against individuals are imposed

The UN Security Council has the authority to impose sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter in order to address threats to international peace and security, including terrorism, weapons proliferation and human rights abuses.

National governments also have the authority to impose sanctions against individuals within their borders, including freezing assets and imposing travel restrictions, among other measures. National governments may act independently or in coordination with other countries or international organisations, such as the UN, to impose these sanctions.

International organisztions, such as the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), may also impose sanctions against individuals to address security, human rights, or other concerns in a particular region.

Sanctions against individuals are intended to have a direct impact on the target by limiting financial and political resources, but the effectiveness of sanctions may vary depending on the specific circumstances of the individual. In some instances, sanctions cause significant financial hardship to individuals. They may also affect the economies of the targeted country, leading to inflation, unemployment, and other economic difficulties for the general population. Some see sanctions against individuals as having a negative impact on the human rights of the target, as freezing assets and restricting travel may limit their ability to access essential services and support.

It’s also been argued that sanctions can be difficult to enforce and may not have the intended impact on the targeted individual and that sanctions can be imposed without sufficient evidence and are difficult to lift, which may worsen international relations.

Targeted individuals often attempt to evade sanctions by using alternative financial systems or concealing their assets, which makes them difficult to enforce.