Scores have been arrested by Ugandan security forces during an operation against supporters of opposition leader, Bobi Wine who has been in detention.
The Ugandan musician-turned-politician, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was Thursday arrested at the Entebbe International Airport in the capital, Kampala on his return to the country, his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), said in a statement.
In reaction, the party organized a million-strong march on Thursday, but police held 40 among his supporters in Kampala and other locations. The suspects arrested include a lawmaker, whom authorities say was picked up “for inciting violence”. Police say the suspects will face charges in court as operations continue.
A large number of Wine’s supporters, including the leaders of NUP, had been arrested across the nation, he claimed in a post on X, demanding their release.
Hundreds of Wine’s followers were allegedly detained by security forces and subjected to a variety of abuses, including rape, beatings, electrocution, and injection with unidentified drugs, according to Human Rights Watch’s allegations made against security forces last year.
Meanwhile, the United States Bureau of African Affairs has condemned the development, describing Wine’s detention as reflecting deteriorating democracy.
“Harassment of opposition voices and human rights abuses damage prospects for Ugandan progress and its partnership with the international community,” it said.
Wine, who failed in a bid for the presidency in a tense and disputed election in 2021, has been arrested numerous times and has faced several charges, including treason, incitement, and corruption.