Uganda bans demonstrations

2005-11-23 08:54

Kampala - The Ugandan government on Tuesday banned public demonstrations in support of detained opposition leader Kizza Besigye, whose arrest last week on treason and rape charges sparked deadly riots.

According to a decree issued by interior minister Ruhakana Rugunda, any such protests or rallies would undermine Besigye's "right to a fair hearing" before civil and military courts.

Rugunda said: "Since the trial of Dr Kizza Besigye and others has commenced, no demonstrations/processions in respect of or incidental to that case shall be held until the case has been concluded by the courts of law."

Illegal weapons possession

Besigye, leader of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and seen as a main rival to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in upcoming elections, was arrested along with 21 others on November 14 and charged with planning to overthrow the government and raping a teenager he was supposed to educate.

Four days later, separate court-martial proceedings before a military tribunal begun against Besigye and his co-defendants on charges of terrorism and illegal weapons possession.

He had vehemently denied all the charges, his wife had claimed he was a "political prisoner" and the United States had expressed deep concern about his arrest and its "disruption to Uganda's political process".

Peaceful demonstration

The demonstration ban was issued two days before Uganda's High Court was due to hear his bail application, amid FDC calls for a "peaceful demonstration" to protest his detention.

The arrest came just three weeks after Besigye returned to Uganda from four years of self-imposed exile in South Africa, vowing to fight Museveni's alleged "dictatorship" in the polls set for March.

It sparked riots that left at least two people dead and dozens arrested in two days of unrest in the capital.

Besigye, Museveni's personal physician during the war that ousted late Ugandan president Milton Obote in 1985, fled the country after losing 2001 polls to his ex-patient who had accused him of fomenting a coup d'etat.

Obote granted state funeral

He returned home on October 26 in an apparent bid to take advantage of the president's calls for reconciliation after the death in exile earlier that month of Obote, to whom Museveni granted a state funeral.

But Museveni, who announced on Saturday that he would take advantage of parliament's scrapping of presidential term limits and stand for re-election, had said it was time for Besigye to prove his innocence.

The charges against the opposition leader relate to claims he conspired with rebel groups to overthrow Museveni's government after the 2001 elections and the alleged rape eight years ago of a 17-year-old girl.

If convicted on the treason and terrorism counts, Besigye could face the death penalty and 10 years in prison for the weapons charge.

- AFP