Democracy News

Ugandan Court Drops Charges Against Opposition Leader
August 15, 2011
By: Carlos Aramayo | Printer Friendly

On August 10, AFP reported that a Ugandan court dropped two cases that were filed against the opposition leader Kizza Besigye for leading anti-government protests in April 2011. Besigye was arrested four times in April, as police violently suppressed his “walk to work” protests against the high cost of living in Uganda, which according to Besigye is a result of poor governance.

A magistrate at Kasangati court outside the city of Kampala dismissed three charges against Besigye. “All cases were dismissed as the magistrate ruled that there was either no case to answer or no evidence for the charges,” Besigye’s lawyer David Mpanga told AFP. The magistrate rejected the government claims that Besigye had been actively involved in rioting or had tried to convince bystanders to throw stones at police officers, Mpanga said. However, Besigye still faces several charges of unlawful assembly that he is challenging in the Constitutional Court.

After finishing a distant second to President Yoweri Museveni in an election in February, Besigye announced that he was going to walk to his office, rather than use his car, to protest rising commodity prices and corruption. Besigye was initially joined by only a few fellow protesters, but the Museveni’s government responded with overwhelming force, locking up hundreds of opposition supporters and at times using tear gas and water cannons to disperse even small numbers of protesters. At least nine people were killed during the demonstrations. In response, human rights groups condemned the suppression of the protestors.

According to the BBC News, after his release, Besigye said the charges had been brought against him for political reasons. He also noted that before the previous elections, in 2006, he was charged with both treason and rape.  Besigye was later acquitted on both counts.

The New York Times reported that Uganda’s economy has taken a downturn in 2011, with the local currency greatly depreciating, while food and oil prices have increased. The United Nations recently warned that the country could be the next to be threatened by the famine gripping the Horn of Africa.

For previous news on Uganda, please see:
Museveni Wins Fourth Term In Ugandan Presidential Election

Sources:
AFP - Uganda drops cases against opposition leader

The National – Uganda may be next for famine crisis says UN

BBC News – Kizza Besigye: Uganda court drops all charges

New York Times – Charges Against Ugandan Opposition Leader Are Dropped