KAMPALA — Ugandan opposition leader and presidential candidate Bobi Wine was reportedly taken by military forces to an undisclosed location on Friday, a dramatic turn in the nation’s tense election period. Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party said an army helicopter landed at his home compound in Kampala and “forcibly taken him away” as votes continued to be counted in the tight contest with President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the East African nation for four decades.
The party’s announcement on social media came amid an internet blackout and widespread concerns about election transparency. Earlier, Wine — a former pop star turned politician — had alleged massive ballot stuffing and called on supporters to reject what he described as a “criminal regime.”
President Museveni is reported to be leading with a commanding share of the vote, according to provisional results; opposition supporters and human rights groups have decried the election environment as marred by repression and intimidation. Security forces have also been implicated in violent incidents around polling areas, fueling fears of post-election unrest.
The Ugandan military and government officials have not publicly commented on Wine’s whereabouts or the helicopter operation, intensifying international alarm about the stability of the democratic process in the country.
News as reported
