Ugandan military dictator Gen. Yoweri Museveni’s soldiers have prevented the American ambassador from visiting Bobi Wine, the candidate who rejected the dictator’s supposed election victory and declared that he is the winner of the Jan. 14 election.
Bobi Wine, who is 38-years-old benefitted from a tidal wave of youth voter support in the election. Uganda is one of the world’s youngest nations and 80% of the population is under the age of 35.
Bobi Wine said the results announced Jan. 16 by Museveni’s hand-picked election commission headed by Simon Byakabama, awarding the general 59% of the vote was s “joke.” Since then, his home has been surrounded by 500 soldiers, some of whom are wandering inside his compound, with 10 armored vehicles parked nearby. A helicopter flies overhead every half hour and a drone has also hovered over the property.
When Bobi Wine’s wife tried to get food from the garden, she said she was manhandled by soldiers who pushed her, forcing her back into the house. The couple has run out of food.
When a member of Parliament Francis Zaake tried to visit, he was severely beaten by soldiers and is now hospitalized in critical condition.
Today, Bobi Wine tweeted: “This afternoon, the US Ambassador to Uganda made an effort to visit me but was turned away from the gate by the soldiers who have held me and my wife captive for the past five days.”
The U.S. supports Gen. Museveni’s regime with $1 billion annually and there have been calls by an increasing number of lawmakers, including Senators Bob Menendez and Chris Coons who have called for a review of the aid. There are also increasing calls for sanctions against officials involved in human rights abuses.
Tibor Nagy, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa has said the Jan. 14 election was “fundamentally flawed.” The U.S. ambassador is Natalie E. Brown.
A petition has been launched calling on the Biden administration not to recognize the results announced by the Museveni hand-picked election commission.
