Uganda er et af de u-lande, der har modtaget mest udviklingsbistand fra Danmark – men demokratiet har det ikke specielt godt i det østafrikanske land for tiden
KAMPALA, 29 April 2011 (IRIN): After weeks of demonstrations against the rising cost of living in Uganda, the situation in the capital, Kampala, deteriorated Friday, with riots breaking out in the city centre in protest at the brutal arrest of an opposition leader a day earlier.
Kizza Besigye was arrested on Thursday (28.04.11.) – the fifth time he has been intercepted by security forces – for demonstrating against rising prices.
Police officers smashed a window of Besigye’s car and sprayed him in the face with tear gas, temporarily blinding him. He is still recovering in hospital. Witnesses say the opposition leader was surrounded by about 100 supporters at the time of the arrest.
Besigye’s latest arrest comes a day after he was released from a five-day prison stay, where he was being detained on charges of inciting violence.
There has been a steady increase in the level of violence used by security members to deter the “walk-to-work” protests.
Last week, a two-year-old child was shot dead in Masaka, a Kampala suburb, after riots broke out in the southern district.
On 27 April, Gerald Kato, 21, survived surgery to remove a bullet embedded in his head. A week earlier, he had been sent to buy sugar when he was caught in crossfire between the police and demonstrators in Bweyogere, an eastern Kampala suburb.
Kato’s twin brother, Henry Wasswa, expressed anger at the disproportionate levels of violence being deployed across the country.
– The police seem to be targeting everyone, Wasswa said outside Kato’s hospital room.
At least five people have been killed so far and unconfirmed reports Friday indicated three more shot dead.
The government has come out against the levels of violence used against Besigye. Kale Kayihura, Inspector-General of Police, called on security officials to use proportional responses to the threats at hand.
However, after an officer peacefully escorted another opposition leader to his workplace last week and was hailed across the country for his actions, he was suspended from duty.
Call for intervention
Læs videre på http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=92615
Se også Pernille Bærendtsens blog på
http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/blog/70/uganda-walk2work
