YOWERI MUSEVENI

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Ugandan authorities on Tuesday brought criminal charges against an author critical of the government whose ongoing detention has sparked concern at home and abroad. But Rukirabashaija's lawyer, Eron Kiiza, told The Associated Press that his client had been “secretly remanded” after being charged without notice to defense attorneys. “It's unfair and irregular,” Kiiza said, adding that those who saw his client in the courtroom described him as frail. Kiiza, the defense attorney, said he believed his client had previously been in the hands of the Special Forces Command, an army unit that protects the first family. The Special Forces Command has not commented on allegations it held the writer.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Uganda's schools reopened to students on Monday, ending the world's longest school disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uganda's schools have been fully or partially shut for more than 83 weeks, the world's longest disruption, according to figures from the U.N. cultural agency. The protracted school lockdown proved controversial in a country where measures aimed at stemming the spread of the virus were ignored by many. Welcoming the reopening of Uganda's schools, Save the Children warned that “lost learning may lead to high dropout rates in the coming weeks without urgent action," including what it described as catch-up clubs. They said their support was key for Uganda's school system to remain open.

Uganda’s schools reopened their gates to students on Monday, ending the longest school disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic anywhere in the world.

The reopening caused traffic congestion in some areas of the capital, Kampala, and students can be seen carrying their mattresses in the streets, a back-to-boarding school phenomenon not witnessed here for nearly two years. Uganda’s schools have been fully or partially shut for more than 83 weeks, the world's longest disruption, according to figures from the U.N. cultural agency.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Ugandan authorities face growing pressure to free an author who has been in detention for 10 days, allegedly over his criticism of the president and his son. A magistrate ordered Rukirabashaija's unconditional release earlier this week, but Ugandan security officials have not complied with the order. “They keep moving him around,” Kiiza said of the security forces. English PEN, a human rights organization for writers, said in a statement that it was “gravely concerned” about the Ugandan author's detention. At home, Rukirabashaija's case has renewed focus on the alleged excesses of the security forces in enforcing Museveni's authority.

Climate activist Vanessa Nakate spoke to The Associated Press and reflected on the whirlwind of 2021 and what she and other young activists plan for the year to come.

Previous incursions have led to accusations of looting and abuse, so will it be different this time?

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Ugandan authorities have killed at least five people, including a Muslim cleric, accused of having ties to the extremist group responsible for Tuesday's suicide bombings in the capital, police said Thursday. Four men were killed in a shootout in a frontier town near the western border with Congo as they tried to cross back into Uganda. A fifth man, a cleric named Muhammad Kirevu, was killed in “a violent confrontation" when security forces raided his home outside Kampala, police spokesman Fred Enanga said. A second cleric, Suleiman Nsubuga, is the subject of a manhunt, he said, accusing the two clerics of radicalizing young Muslim men and encouraging them to join underground cells to carry out violent attacks. The attacks sparked chaos and confusion in the city as well as outpourings of concern from the international community.

Uganda Explosions A bomb disposal officer examines a suspicious package resembling a gift before subjecting it to a controlled explosion, next to the central police station in Kampala, Uganda, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Two loud explosions rocked Uganda's capital, Kampala, early Tuesday, sparking chaos and confusion as people fled what is widely believed to be coordinated attacks. (AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki) (Nicholas Bamulanzeki)KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Two explosions rocked Uganda's capital, Kampala, on Tuesday, killing at least three civilians in what police described as a coordinated attack by extremists opposed to the government. The Allied Democratic Forces, an affiliate of the Islamic State group in central Africa, claimed responsibility for the attack on the restaurant. Reports of an alliance between the Allied Democratic Forces and the IS group first emerged in 2019, according to SITE.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Two loud explosions rocked Uganda's capital, Kampala, early Tuesday, sparking chaos and confusion as people fled what is widely believed to be coordinated attacks. The explosion near parliament appeared to hit a building housing an insurance company and the subsequent fire engulfed cars parked outside. Police did not immediately comment, and it was not clear if the explosions were bomb attacks. The Allied Democratic Forces, an affiliate of the Islamic State group in central Africa, claimed responsibility for the attack on the eatery. But the Allied Democratic Forces, with its local roots, has proved more of a headache to Museveni.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Two loud explosions were heard in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, early Tuesday, witnesses reported, sparking chaos and confusion as people fled what is widely believed to be coordinated attacks. Police did not immediately comment, and it was not clear if the explosions were bomb attacks. Ugandan officials have been urging vigilance in the wake of a string of bomb explosions in recent weeks. The Allied Democratic Forces, an affiliate of the Islamic State group in central Africa, claimed responsibility for the attack on the eatery. But the Allied Democratic Forces, with its local roots, has proved more of a headache to Museveni.

Two explosions have rocked Uganda’s capital, Kampala, killing at least three civilians in what police described as a coordinated attack by extremists.

Uganda’s schools have been fully or partially shut for more than 77 weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Uganda Explosion Police secure a road leading to the scene of an explosion in the Komamboga suburb of the capital Kampala, Uganda Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Police said one person was killed and several others injured in the explosion late Saturday and that detectives would "determine whether the explosion arose from an intentional act or not." (AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki) (Nicholas Bamulanzeki)KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Ugandan police are investigating an explosion on a long-distance bus that killed one person Monday, the second fatal blast in less than 48 hours in the East African country. Initially, police had said two people on the bus were killed but later said there had been one death, without explaining the revision. On Saturday, a bomb explosion at an eatery in a busy Kampala suburb killed one person.

Uganda Explosion Police secure a road leading to the scene of an explosion in the Komamboga suburb of the capital Kampala, Uganda Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Police said one person was killed and several others injured in the explosion late Saturday and that detectives would "determine whether the explosion arose from an intentional act or not." (AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki) (Nicholas Bamulanzeki)KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — The Islamic State group is claiming responsibility for Saturday's bomb attack that killed one person at an outdoor eatery in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. Museveni said three people entered the eatery where pork is grilled in a busy suburb of Kampala late Saturday and left a plastic bag whose contents later exploded. The U.K. government had updated its Uganda travel advisory earlier in October to say extremists “are very likely to try to carry out attacks” in Uganda.

Police are investigating a bus explosion that killed one person in central Uganda.

Uganda Explosion Police secure a road leading to the scene of an explosion in the Komamboga suburb of the capital Kampala, Uganda Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Police said one person was killed and several others injured in the explosion late Saturday and that detectives would "determine whether the explosion arose from an intentional act or not." (AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki) (Nicholas Bamulanzeki)KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — An explosion at an eatery in Uganda's capital was an apparent terrorist act, President Yoweri Museveni said on Sunday. Museveni said three people entered the eatery in a suburb of Kampala on Saturday evening and left a plastic bag whose contents later exploded. But the U.K. government updated its Uganda travel advisory earlier in October to say extremists “are very likely to try to carry out attacks” in this East African country.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni says an explosion at an eatery in the capital, Kampala, was an apparent terrorist act.

An explosion at an eatery in Uganda's capital was an apparent terrorist act, President Yoweri Museveni said on Sunday. Museveni said three people entered the eatery in a suburb of Kampala on Saturday evening and left a plastic bag whose contents later exploded. Police, who have sealed off the scene, said a bomb squad is investigating the explosion, which for many revived painful memories of a deadly bombing in 2010 that killed over 70 people in Kampala.

In the United States, Western Europe and various other regions, some prominent Protestant churches have been vocal advocates for same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights.

Dubai’s Expo 2020 has acknowledged for the first time that three workers died from the coronavirus over the course of building the world’s fair during the pandemic, as the prestigious event draws scrutiny of labor conditions in the United Arab Emirates.

Uganda Civic Groups Suspended FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 file photo, security forces gather on election day in Kampala, Uganda. Authorities in Uganda have suspended Friday, Aug. 20, 2021 the work of more than 50 civic groups, ranging from rights watchdogs to women's groups, over alleged non-compliance with regulations, dealing a blow to hundreds of thousands of people who directly benefit from the activities of such groups. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File) (Jerome Delay)KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Authorities in Uganda have suspended more than 50 civic groups for allegedly not complying with regulations, dealing a blow to hundreds of thousands of people who directly benefit from the organizations' activities. Prominent rights group Chapter Four Uganda and election observer group CCEDU are among 15 facing indefinite suspensions over allegedly failing to file annual returns and audited accounts. He said he had expected the suspensions to happen sooner after the DGF's troubles as well as multiple attacks on the offices of civic groups seen as critical of the government.

Ugandan authorities have suspended more than 50 civic groups for allegedly not complying with regulations, dealing a blow to hundreds of thousands of people who benefit from the organizations’ activities.

The Ugandan was part of a nine-member squad who were fully vaccinated, reports say.

Anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in cities across Brazil as the nation’s confirmed death toll from COVID-19 soared past half a million.

I can’t lock myself in the house.”A sense of dread is growing in some of the very poorest countries in the world as virus cases surge and more contagious variants take hold amid a crippling shortage of vaccine. Its 1.3 billion people account for 18% of the world's population, but the continent has received only 2% of all vaccine doses administered globally. At the start of the pandemic, many deeply impoverished countries with weak health care systems appeared to have avoided the worst. “The sobering trajectory of surging cases should rouse everyone to urgent action,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Africa director of the World Health Organization. Nearly 90% of African countries are set to miss the global target of vaccinating 10% of their people by September, according to the World Health Organization.

Some of the most desperately poor countries in the world are seeing a two-headed crisis: a surge in COVID-19 cases and a critical shortage of vaccine.

Uganda's Yoweri Museveni is being sworn in for a sixth elected term in office.

(AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki, File)KAMPALA – Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine was arrested Monday while leading a protest against the detention of many of his supporters in the aftermath of a presidential election. Police arrested Wine near a public square in the capital and then drove him back to his home outside Kampala. AdMuseveni was declared the winner of the Jan. 14 elections with 58% of the vote while Wine had 35%. But opposition figures such as Wine accuse Museveni of increasingly ruling like his predecessors. Museveni warned in a televised address Sunday night that opposition supporters who allegedly plan to disrupt his inauguration in May face arrest.

Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, speaks at a press conference in Kampala, Uganda Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki)KAMPALA – Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine is calling for peaceful protests in the aftermath of presidential elections, charging that electoral authorities are “grappling with forged results” that showed victory for President Yoweri Museveni. Wine on Tuesday asserted that the East African country’s constitution allows peaceful protests. Uganda's top court last week permitted Wine to withdraw a petition his attorneys had filed seeking to invalidate Museveni's reelection. AdUganda has never seen a peaceful transfer of power, one reason why even some within Museveni's party openly say he must groom a successor.

(AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki, File)KAMPALA – Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine says he will withdraw a legal petition that sought to overturn the victory of President Yoweri Museveni in last month's presidential election. Wine, who insists his movement is nonviolent, cited the chief justice's comments in explaining his decision to withdraw the petition. Museveni was declared the winner of the Jan. 14 election with 58% of the vote while Wine had 35%. Wine initially said he did not wish to launch a legal challenge because a courtroom loss would validate Museveni's victory. Museveni won previous legal challenges to his election victories, and analysts had predicted the judges were still unlikely to rule against him.

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 file photo, Ugandans wait to cast their votes for the presidential election in Kampala, Uganda. President Yoweri Museveni won the polls with 58% of the vote, according to official results that Wine has called fraudulent. Wine's allegations, newspaper reports and statements by diplomats have raised the specter of illegal abductions by state agents in Uganda. Museveni’s admission raised concerns that state agents carried out extrajudicial killings as tensions persist following polls whose outcome is disputed. AdMuseveni has dismissed allegations of vote-rigging, calling the election “the most cheating-free” since independence from Britain in 1962.

(AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki, File)KAMPALA – Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine is urging the international community to back up concerns over the country's disputed elections with “strong actions" against President Yoweri Museveni's government. Museveni, like all dictators, is not moved by words,” said Wine, a 38-year-old singer and legislator whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu. “We hope that there will be more action following the strongly worded statements,” he said of international condemnation of the elections. The U.S. and the European Union have noted concerns about Uganda’s elections. Museveni won the Jan. 14 polls with 58% of the vote while Wine had 35%, according to official results.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni in Feb. 2021 has ordered the suspension of the multimillion-dollar Democratic Governance Facility fund backed by European nations that supports the work of local groups focusing on democracy and good governance. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)KAMPALA – Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the suspension of a multimillion-dollar fund backed by European nations that supports the work of local groups focusing on democracy and good governance. AdPatrick Ocailap, the deputy treasury secretary, told The Associated Press that the finance ministry would “handle the matter appropriately” after getting guidance from the finance minister, to whom the letter was addressed. Finance Minister Matia Kasaija declined to comment, saying he was unwell. The allegations of foreign meddling levied at unnamed groups Museveni accused of “arrogance” contributed to a charged atmosphere ahead of last month's presidential vote.

An attorney for Bobi Wine says Ugandan soldiers have withdrawn from the opposition presidential challengers home the day after a judge ruled that his house arrest was unlawful. (AP Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki)KAMPALA – Ugandan presidential challenger Bobi Wine on Monday launched a court case seeking to overturn the re-election of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 35 years. The Supreme Court ruled three times that electoral irregularities were not substantial enough to affect the outcome. They withdrew from Wine's residence last week after a judge ruled that Wine's home is not a detention facility. He has repeatedly called for the retirement of Museveni, a U.S. ally on regional security who accuses Wine of being a foreign agent.

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 file photo, Uganda's leading opposition challenger Bobi Wine fills his ballot before voting in Kampala, Uganda. A judge ruled on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 that Ugandan security forces cannot detain presidential challenger Bobi Wine inside his home, rebuking authorities for holding the candidate under house arrest following a disputed election. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)KAMPALA – A judge ruled on Monday that Ugandan security forces cannot detain presidential challenger Bobi Wine inside his home, rebuking authorities for holding the candidate under house arrest following a disputed election. Ugandan authorities have said Wine can only leave his home on the outskirts of the capital, Kampala, under military escort because they fear his presence in public could incite rioting. The U.S. Embassy in a Twitter post said the judge's ruling “underscores the role of an impartial judiciary,” adding that Washington “calls on security forces to honor the decision.”U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “It’s very important that the security forces do show restraint and also obey ... the order."

FILE- in this Jan. 15, 2021 file photo, Uganda's leading opposition challenger Bobi Wine walks back to his residence after giving a press conference outside Kampala, Uganda. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)KAMPALA – Ugandan presidential challenger Bobi Wine on Friday accused the country's longtime president of staging a "coup” in last week's election and urged people to protest his loss through nonviolent means. President Yoweri Museveni “committed a coup against the constitution and against the people of Uganda,” the opposition leader said from his home on the outskirts of the capital, Kampala. Museveni won the election with 58% of the vote while Wine had 34%, according to official results. Museveni accuses Wine of being a foreign agent, which the opposition leader denies.

While longtime President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of a sixth term, the rise of the 38-year-old Wine's party marks a generational shift. You keep cutting, chipping away until the tree falls," said Joel Ssenyonyi, spokesman for Wine's National Unity Platform. Museveni, a former guerilla leader who has held office since 1986, faced arguably his greatest election challenge yet from Wine. Wine, who is effectively under house arrest, can challenge the election results in Uganda's highest court. A presidential candidate must launch any legal challenge to election results within 10 days of the declaration of final results.

Mityana Municipality politician, Zaake Francis, close ally to opposition leader Bobi Wine gestures, in Rubaga hospital, Kampala, Uganda, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, after he was alledgedly beaten by security personnel at the gates of Bobi Wine's house on Saturday. Police swooped in at dawn at the offices of Wine’s National Unity Platform, diverted traffic, and stopped people from entering, party spokesman Joel Ssenyonyi told The Associated Press. Wine’s party has said it has video evidence of the military stuffing ballot boxes, casting ballots for people and chasing voters away from polling stations. The Daily Monitor newspaper reported that the vote-rich central district of Wakiso, widely seen as Wine's stronghold, was the most affected. “We reiterate our intention to pursue action against those responsible for the undermining of democracy and human rights in Uganda,” it said.

Uganda's military on Sunday continued to hold top opposition challenger Wine at his home, saying troops were there to protect him. “We ask Ugandans to reject this fraud," the opposition party, the National Unity Platform, said in a statement Sunday. “As we speak now, our president (Wine) is under illegal detention at his home,” opposition lawmaker Mathias Mpuuga, told reporters at a news conference Sunday. Mpuuga spoke at the headquarters of Wine’s party in Kampala. Calling himself the “ghetto president,” Wine had strong support in Uganda's cities, urban where frustration with unemployment and corruption is high.

A supporter of Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni celebrates in Kampala, Uganda, Saturday Jan. 16, 2021, after their candidate was declared winner of the presidential elections. Ugandas electoral commission says longtime President Yoweri Museveni has won a sixth term, while top opposition challenger Bobi Wine alleges rigging and officials struggle to explain how polling results were compiled amid an internet blackout. The self-described “ghetto president” had strong support in urban centers where frustration with unemployment and corruption is high. He said he won't leave Uganda and abandon its 45 million people to the kind of treatment he has faced. In response to his allegations of vote-rigging, Uganda’s electoral commission said Wine should prove it.

Uganda's leading opposition challenger Bobi Wine walks back to his residence after giving a press conference outside Kampala, Uganda, Friday,Jan. Ugandas electoral commission says President Yoweri Museveni leads in Thursdays election with results in from 29% of polling stations. He has 63% of ballots while top opposition candidate Bobi Wine has 28%. The electoral commission said Wine should prove his allegations of rigging. The electoral commission said it “may not be able” to provide details of where the published results are from.

Ugandans are voting in a presidential election tainted by widespread violence that some fear could escalate as security forces try to stop supporters of Wine from monitoring polling stations. “This shows me that Ugandans this time are determined to vote for the leader they want. Wine, of the National Unity Platform party, has said he does not believe the election is free and fair. The role of local observers will be even more important than before.”The EU, U.N. and others have warned Uganda's security forces against using excessive force. Ugandan elections are often marred by allegations of fraud and alleged abuses by the security forces.

(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)KAMPALA – Ugandan authorities appeared to cut off internet access in the country Wednesday night on the eve of a tense presidential election, while a lawyer for leading opposition candidate Bobi Wine said all contact had been lost with him. “Confirmed: Uganda is now in the midst of a nation-scale internet blackout,” watchdog NetBlocks said in a statement saying connectivity levels had dropped to 33% of usual levels. Ugandans using leading internet service providers MTN and Airtel said they could no longer get online. Wine's supporters allege that security forces are cracking down on his supporters. Authorities disabled internet service on the day of the 2016 election.

Bobi Wine, during a Press conference in Kampala Uganda, Tuesday, Jan.12, 2021. Wine, who insisted Tuesday that his campaign is nonviolent, urged his supporters not to be intimidated by the security forces. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, earlier on Tuesday joined other opposition figures in criticizing widespread violence by security forces. Those deaths form a critical part of Wine’s petition to the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged acts of torture, mutilation and murder of civilian protesters by security forces. That means potential confrontations with security forces.

FILE - In this Friday, March 27, 2020 file photo, Ugandan musician, lawmaker and presidential aspirant Bobi Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, speaks to The Associated Press in Kampala, Uganda. Police in Uganda have confronted opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine during an online press conference, and he says they fired tear gas and bullets as they swarmed his car. “Facebook is interfering in the electoral process of Uganda,” he said. Wanyama charged that Facebook had blocked the accounts of Museveni's mobilizers, especially those who communicate in the local Luganda language. Some of the blocked Ugandan accounts campaigned harshly against presidential challenger Wine.

Police in Uganda have confronted opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine during an online press conference, and he says they fired tear gas and bullets as they swarmed his car. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi, File)KAMPALA – Police in Uganda confronted popular opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine during his online press conference Thursday to announce a petition to the International Criminal Court over alleged abuses by security forces. Journalists watched as an officer dragged Wine from the car while he pleaded that he had broken no law. “You are embarrassing the country,” Wine told officers. The petition by Wine and two other alleged torture victims mentions Museveni, Security Minister Elly Tumwine and other security officials.

A bodyguard for Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was killed and two journalists injured on Sunday, Dec. 27, amid violent confrontations between security forces and followers of the singer and lawmaker who is challenging the country's long-time leader. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi-File)KAMPALA – A bodyguard for Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was killed and two journalists injured on Sunday amid violent confrontations between security forces and followers of the singer and lawmaker who is challenging the country’s long-time leader. Flavia Byekwaso, disputed Wine’s version of events, saying the bodyguard fell while trying to jump into a speeding car. The three casualties are the latest victims of election-related violence as Uganda's security forces are accused of trying to stop Wine from holding raucous public rallies. Uganda faces growing pressure from the international community and rights watchdogs to respect human rights ahead of polls scheduled for Jan. 14.

KAMPALA – The death toll from last week’s protests over the arrest of Ugandan opposition presidential hopeful and musician Bobi Wine has risen to 45, police say, with more than 800 people arrested. Police spokesman Fred Enanga told reporters on Monday that “our hearts go to the families” of those killed. Enanga said the arrests occurred during the two days of protests that broke out on Nov. 18 after Wine was arrested again in the eastern town of Luuka. Police accused him of flouting COVID-19 guidelines that require presidential candidates to address less than 200 people. The United Nations secretary-general condemned the violence last week and called on Ugandan authorities to ensure that all ” perpetrators of human rights violation are held accountable.

The death toll from protests over the latest arrest of Ugandan opposition presidential hopeful and musician Bobi Wine has risen to 16, police said Thursday, as a second day of demonstrations continued in the country's worst unrest in a decade. (AP Photo)KAMPALA – The death toll from protests over the arrest of Ugandan opposition presidential hopeful and musician Bobi Wine has risen to 37, police said Friday. This is the country’s worst unrest in a decade, and more is expected ahead of the election early next year. His lawyers brought the torn clothes the singer wore the day of his arrest on Wednesday, when protests erupted in the capital, Kampala. The Uganda police pathologist and the head of police health services told journalists they had counted 37 bodies by Thursday morning.

The death toll from protests over the arrest of Ugandan opposition presidential hopeful and musician Bobi Wine has risen to seven, Ugandan police said Thursday, as a second day of demonstrations began. (AP Photo)KAMPALA – The death toll from protests over the latest arrest of Ugandan opposition presidential hopeful and musician Bobi Wine has risen to 16, police said Thursday, as a second day of demonstrations continued in the country's worst unrest in a decade. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Patrick Onyango earlier in the day said the toll was likely to rise. At least 65 people were injured during the protests that erupted Wednesday in different parts of the East African country. Police accuse Wine of flouting COVID-19 guidelines that require presidential candidates to address less 200 people.

KAMPALA – Ugandan police on Tuesday again arrested Bobi Wine, a popular singer and opposition presidential hopeful, shortly after he was successfully certified as a candidate in next year's election. Wine, who is bidding to unseat Uganda’s long-time leader, was dragged from his car by police. Another presidential candidate, Patrick Amuriat of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change, was similarly arrested. Critics say President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, increasingly depends on the armed forces to assert his authority. The election is expected to be a two-horse race between Wine and Museveni.

Supporters of Bobi Wine, a legislator whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, sit in the back of a police truck after being arrested, outside his campaign headquarters in Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi)KAMPALA – Armed police on Wednesday “besieged” the campaign headquarters of Bobi Wine, a pop star and politician who is seeking Uganda's presidency in elections set for 2021, an opposition figure said. Wine and other party officials have not been arrested, he said. But in a Twitter post Wine reported that “comrades had been injured” after police “raided” his headquarters and seized documents and other items. He is able to seek another term after the legislature voted to remove constitutional age limits on the presidency.

Bobi Wine, a singer and lawmaker whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, speaks at the National Unity Platform (NUP) head office in the Kamwokya suburb of Kampala, Uganda Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. Bobi Wine, who spoke on Monday to answer questions swirling around his age and academic record, cited "a pattern of repression and suppression" aiming to derail his bid against the long-time president Yoweri Museveni in polls scheduled for 2021. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi)KAMPALA Ugandan singer and opposition politician Bobi Wine said on Monday he faces a pattern of repression and suppression seeking to derail his bid to challenge the country's long-time president in elections next year. Museveni accuses Wine and other opposition figures of encouraging young people into rioting. People associated with Wine are a misguided group being used by some foreigners to destabilize Uganda, the president said last week.

KAMPALA A longtime opposition leader in Uganda announced on Wednesday that he will not run against President Yoweri Museveni in polls scheduled for 2021, saying he will continue seeking democratic change by other means. The 75-year-old Museveni is accused of getting the legislature to remove age limits on the presidency so that he can stay in power. Museveni accuses Wine and other opposition figures of encouraging young people into rioting. Museveni's opponents say corruption is thriving and accuse the president of entrenching his power through his firm grip on the military, Uganda's most powerful institution. The army has become even more influential amid the coronavirus pandemic as uniformed soldiers enforce lockdown measures, sometimes with brutal force.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China June 25, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Sunday that any attempt to divide China will be crushed, as Beijing faces political challenges in months-long protests in Hong Kong and U.S. criticism over its treatment of Muslim minority groups. "And any external forces backing such attempts dividing China will be deemed by the Chinese people as pipe-dreaming!" Xi, the first Chinese president to visit Nepal in 22 years, arrived in Nepal on Saturday on a state visit. Nepal's Oli told Xi that the country will oppose any "anti-China activities" on its soil, CCTV reported.