标签： Africa

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has declared he will not pursue legal avenues to contest the results of last Thursday’s presidential election, citing a compromised judiciary. Instead, the 43-year-old former pop star, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is urging his supporters to engage in peaceful street protests to defend their democracy.

Speaking to the BBC from an undisclosed location while in hiding, Wine dismissed the official election results as ‘fake,’ alleging widespread ‘ballot stuffing’ without providing specific evidence. Official results gave President Yoweri Museveni a landslide victory with 72% of the vote, while Wine trailed with 25%.

The political tension has escalated significantly since the election. Wine claims he was forced to flee his home in a Kampala suburb during a security forces raid on Friday night, leaving behind his wife and relatives who he says are effectively under house arrest. He alleges security personnel have blocked food deliveries to his property and installed signal jammers preventing communication.

Uganda’s army leadership has intensified the confrontation. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is both the country’s army chief and President Museveni’s son, publicly threatened Wine on social media, giving him ‘exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the police’ or face treatment as ‘an outlaw/rebel.’

International observers from the African Union reported seeing ‘no evidence of ballot stuffing’ but condemned the days-long internet shutdown that persisted until hours after Museveni was declared winner on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Uganda Human Rights Commission acknowledged ‘technical and procedural’ challenges but maintained they didn’t undermine the overall fairness of the vote.

The human cost continues to mount. Wine alleges a ‘silent massacre’ of political activists, claiming more than 100 people have been killed in election violence, though he provided no evidence. Local media reports indicate over 100 youths have been remanded in prison on various election-related charges across Kampala.

This marks Wine’s second failed presidential challenge against Museveni, who first came to power in 1986 and has now won seven elections. Uganda has never witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since gaining independence.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence has issued a formal rebuttal against allegations made by the Yemeni government regarding purported secret detention facilities in Yemen’s Hadramout province. The claims, presented during a recent press conference in Yemen, suggested Emirati forces maintained covert prisons and stored weapons at Riyan Airport in Mukalla.

In an official statement, the UAE defense establishment characterized these accusations as “deliberate fabrications and misinformation” designed to construct false narratives lacking both accuracy and professional integrity. The ministry emphasized that the referenced facilities constitute standard military infrastructure—including operational accommodations, command centers, and reinforced shelters—with some underground components typical of military installations worldwide.

Further complicating the diplomatic situation, the UAE referenced its complete military withdrawal from Yemen on January 2, 2026, asserting that all equipment, weapons, and assets were transferred according to established military protocols. This withdrawal, the ministry stated, eliminates any possibility of continued Emirati military, logistical, or technical presence on Yemeni territory.

The defense ministry expressed concern that these allegations represent a coordinated effort to advance political agendas while undermining the UAE’s decade-long security contributions to Yemen. The statement concluded with strong language condemning what it characterized as an unacceptable attempt to distort facts, mislead public opinion, and tarnish the reputation of the UAE Armed Forces and their documented military commitments.

KAMPALA, Uganda — Concerns over the deteriorating health condition of imprisoned Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye have escalated after he was transported overnight to a medical facility in the capital. His political party, the People’s Front for Freedom, issued an urgent statement Tuesday warning that Besigye’s health “has reached a critical and deteriorating state” while demanding immediate access for his personal physicians and family members.

The veteran politician, who previously served as Uganda’s primary opposition figure before the emergence of Bobi Wine, remains confined in a high-security Kampala prison awaiting trial on treason charges that his supporters claim are politically motivated. “It is a tragedy that a man who has dedicated his life to the health and freedom of others is being denied his own right to medical dignity,” the party’s statement asserted, holding “the regime and prison authorities fully accountable for his well-being.”

Contradicting these assessments, Uganda’s prison system spokesman Frank Baine characterized the medical visit as routine, stating: “It was a general checkup. This morning he was doing his exercises.”

This development occurs against the backdrop of Uganda’s contentious political landscape. President Yoweri Museveni, who has maintained power since 1986, recently secured re-election with 71.6% of the vote according to official results—figures immediately rejected by challenger Bobi Wine as fraudulent. The electoral process was marred by a multi-day internet blackout and malfunctioning biometric voting systems originally implemented to prevent electoral fraud.

Besigye, a physician and retired military colonel who once served as Museveni’s personal doctor, has evolved into one of the president’s most persistent critics. His current detention since November 2024 stems from allegations of plotting government overthrow. Museveni’s son, army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has further accused Besigye of planning presidential assassination and previously suggested the opposition leader should face execution.

The case highlights growing concerns about Uganda’s political future, with many anticipating an unstable transition as Museveni, now 81, has systematically removed constitutional obstacles to his prolonged rule while potential successors remain uncertain within the ruling National Resistance Movement party.