Jump to navigation

Uganda

As Bobi Wine appeals against result, President Museveni plays nationalist card with European critics

Until now Western governments have backed the President as a regional security ally and ignored local political skulduggery

President Yoweri Museveni's decision to order the suspension of the European-funded Democratic Governance Facility risks further provoking the European Union into imposing sanctions against him.

Museveni claimed that the DGF – which supports the work of local NGOs focusing on democracy, human rights and transparency – had been 'used to finance activities and organisations designed to subvert Government under the guise of improving governance'.

The move is against a £100 million fund set up by a group of EU countries, the UK and the EU itself, which says it wants to see a country 'where citizens are empowered to engage in democratic governance and the state upholds citizens' rights.' 

In the meantime, opposition leader Bobi Wine, freed from house arrest last week having been confined to his home compound since polling day on 14 January, continues to court Western diplomats while he attempts to take his campaign against Museveni's win in last month's disputed elections to the Supreme Court (AC Vol 62 No 2, Iron fist carries the day).

Following his latest meeting with EU diplomats in Kampala, Wine tweeted that he 'appreciated the EU for its role in fostering democracy', adding that 'we hope the friends of Uganda will support the citizens' call for accountability after a rigged election'.

For the moment, international diplomats are remaining circumspect in public, though criticism of Museveni is growing.

Natalie E. Brown, the United States ambassador in Kampala, last week cited 'deep and continuing concern about the extrajudicial detention of opposition political party members, the reported disappearance of several opposition supporters, and continued restrictions' on Wine and his National Unity Platform.

Wine and his party said earlier this week that around 3,000 of his supporters have been detained or abducted by state agents since November.



Related Articles

Iron fist carries the day

Brutal suppression of the opposition and voter intimidation won President Yoweri Museveni another term of office

Although President Yoweri Museveni won the presidential election with 59% of the vote on a 57% turnout according to the electoral commission, over a dozen of the ruling...


Oil interrupted

Major deposits of commercially viable oil were first discovered in Uganda’s Albertine Graben in 2006 and estimates of total reserves now stand at 6.5 billion barrels. It was...


Muhoozi sticks his neck out

The President's son's demands to succeed his father are testing the unity of the ruling party – and the first family

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has upped the stakes yet again in his 'tweet and delete' campaign to succeed his father as president, causing ructions in ruling circles.


Troubled talks

The UN Security Council and aid agencies are taking a more pragmatic approach to the talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in South...


Past and present

The spectres of past elections and battles haunted the Presidential poll to be held on 9 May. Parliamentary elections are due in June. President Yoweri Museveni was relying...