In a dramatic turn of events in Uganda’s already tense post-election conflict, the opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has been reportedly seized by military personnel from his residence using an army helicopter as stated by his National Unity Platform (NUP) party on Friday.
This newest development is a clear sign of escalating political tensions in an atmosphere of repressive government actions and upheaval that the East African country has been going through.
The NUP described the incident as taking place very early Friday when the helicopter of the army landed inside the yard of Wine’s house in Kampala and security personnel took him away to some unknown place which made the public worried about his life and the course of politics in Uganda.
Additionally, the party officials said that the residence was left without power and that the personnel tried to break in before Wine was taken away, which raised serious questions about the actions of the security forces.
This remarkable assertion comes after a very closely fought presidential election which took place on Thursday with the present President Yoweri Museveni already being given a strong lead according to the partial results released by the Electoral Commission.
Detractors and opposition figures have pronounced the electoral process as a sham, claiming large-scale manipulation, a total blackout of internet and intimidation as being the major tactics employed.
The allegations made by the NUP have not yet received an official response from the authorities, and the publication period had no success in trying to get military and police speakers to comment on the supposed helicopter removal.
The verification of Wine’s location is still very hard to do because of the communication breakdown and restricted access around his place where the journalists and supporters have been barred from entering.
The reported kidnapping of Bobi Wine, a top opposition activist and ex-pop star, who is massively supported by the young, has turned the state-opposition conflict into a real war. It has almost the same characteristics of past political crackdowns in Uganda, where opposition members have been arrested, tortured, and even killed during security operations, especially in elections.
The regional monitors and human rights organizations are likely to keep a close watch on the electoral process and security measures in Uganda because of these incidents. The situation is still very dynamic, and more updates are expected as new information comes in.
Leave a Reply