Uganda Elections: US Accused of Meddling in Internal Affairs

Uganda accused the U.S. government on Tuesday of interfering in its internal affairs as diplomatic personnel has tried to contact the opposition leader Bobi Wine who has not recognized last Sunday parliamentary elections results.

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Uganda: Opposition Candidate Wine Rejects Election Result

Bobi Wine, the main rival of president Yoweri Museveni, lost the contest while his opponent was reelected for a six-term. Wine branded the official results "a fraud" and called people to reject the National Electoral Council report.

Since January 14, Wine has remained under house arrest in the outskirts of the capital Kampala. The U.S. ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown, tried to visit the opposition leader on Monday, but security forces did not allow it.

The U.S. embassy replied in a statement that the purpose of the visit was to check on Wine's welfare and as part of meetings with different political actors. The embassy spokesperson Tony Kujawa said, "Uganda’s election campaigns were marred by the harassment of opposition candidates, campaign staff and supporters, suppression of the media and civil society activities. And a nationwide internet shut down, before, during, and after the voting day.  These unlawful actions and the effective house arrest of a presidential candidate continue a worrying trend on the course of Uganda’s democracy."

On the other hand, Uganda's government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo remarked that the U.S. government was trying to upturn the election results. "We all know that Ambassador Natalie [Brown] and the American system here, USAID, and so on has been funding Bobi Wine and other outfits in clear disregard of diplomatic norms, with the main objective to destabilize the government of Uganda and cause regime change outside the constitutional framework. We are watching her back; you can tell her that," the official told reporters.