YOWERI MUSEVENI

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Ugandan activists launched a legal challenge Monday to controversial new legislation criminalizing some internet activity in the East African country. In presenting their petition at the court in the capital, Kampala, the petitioners were backed by silent protesters who carried placards reading "This law is worth breaking." The legislation increased the restrictions introduced in a controversial 2011 law on the misuse of computers. But do you have the right to take my picture and use it for your interests?" Opponents of the law say it will stifle freedom of expression in a country where many of Museveni’s opponents — for years unable to stage street protests — often raise their concerns on Twitter and other online sites.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — A group of Ugandan activists launched a legal challenge Monday to controversial new legislation criminalizing some internet activity in the East African country. In presenting their petition at the court in the capital, Kampala, the petitioners were backed by silent protesters who carried multiple placards saying "This law is worth breaking." The legislation increased the restrictions introduced in a controversial 2011 law on the misuse of computers. But do you have the right to take my picture and use it for your interests?" Opponents of the law say it will stifle freedom of expression in a country where many of Museveni’s opponents — for years unable to stage street protests — often raise their concerns on Twitter and other online sites.

A group of Ugandan activists has launched a legal challenge to controversial new legislation criminalizing some internet activity in the East African country.

Ugandan authorities on Saturday imposed a travel lockdown on two Ebola-hit districts as part of efforts to stop the spread of the contagious disease.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Ugandan authorities on Saturday imposed a travel lockdown on two Ebola-hit districts as part of efforts to stop the spread of the contagious disease. Cargo vehicles and others transiting from Kampala, the capital, to southwestern Uganda are still allowed to operate, he said. Ugandan authorities were not quick in detecting the outbreak, which began infecting people in a farming community in August as the "strange illness" described by local authorities. Ugandan authorities have documented more than 1,100 contacts of known Ebola patients, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ebola is spread through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law legislation criminalizing some internet activity despite concerns the law could be used to silence legitimate criticism. The new legislation increases restrictions in a controversial 2011 law on the misuse of a computer. Museveni signed the bill on Thursday, according to a presidential spokesman's statement. Opponents of the law say it will stifle freedom of expression in a country where many of Museveni's opponents, for years unable to stage street protests, often raise their concerns on Twitter and other online sites. “Ugandan legislators have taken the wrong turn in attempting to make an already problematic law even worse.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law legislation criminalizing some internet activity despite concerns the law could be used to silence legitimate criticism

Kainerugaba's tweets exasperated many Kenyans, and the foreign minister tweeted Tuesday that he had a meeting with the Ugandan ambassador. Uganda's foreign ministry dismissed Kainerugaba's tweets in a statement that spoke of a "harmonious relationship that we value." Kainerugaba, the pillar of his father’s personal security apparatus, has been the de facto head of Uganda's military, with his allies strategically deployed in command positions across the security services, according to observers. Many Ugandans believe Kainerugaba is being groomed to replace Museveni as president, allegations the president has long denied. Kainerugaba’s associates describe him as a dedicated military officer who often eschews ostentatious displays of power and wealth.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni fired his son as commander of the infantry forces Tuesday after the son tweeted an unprovoked threat to capture the capital of neighboring Kenya, drawing widespread concern in East Africa

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni fired his son as commander of the infantry forces Tuesday after the son tweeted an unprovoked threat to capture the capital of neighboring Kenya, drawing widespread concern in East Africa.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — A planned pipeline to export oil from Uganda is likely to entrench the long rule of President Yoweri Museveni, opposition figure Bobi Wine said Tuesday, voicing his opposition to a project that's increasingly controversial over environmental concerns. The European Union legislature passed a resolution last month urging TotalEnergies to delay work on the pipeline by at least a year, citing rights violations and environmental fears. Campaigners say the 897-mile (1,443-kilometer) heated pipeline — to link oil fields in western Uganda to neighboring Tanzania's Indian Ocean port of Tanga — violates the spirit of the Paris climate accord. “As we speak now, there are gross human rights violations that are going on,” he said. The oil pipeline is a sensitive issue for Museveni, who once spoke of “my oil” and whose government believes petrodollars will lift many of the country's 45 million people out of poverty.

Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine says that a planned pipeline to export oil is likely to entrench the long rule of President Yoweri Museveni

Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine says that a planned pipeline to export oil is likely to entrench the long rule of President Yoweri Museveni.

NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — A Ugandan army spokesman confirmed Wednesday that the crash of one of the country’s military helicopters in eastern Congo. The spokesman, Felix Kulayigye, told The Associated Press “we are still waiting” for more details about the crash earlier this week. Uganda late last year deployed forces in eastern Congo to pursue rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, affiliated with the Islamic State group and accused of attacking civilians in Uganda and Congo. The ADF opposes the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. security ally who has been in power since 1986. Established in the early 1990s in Uganda, the ADF later was forced to flee into eastern Congo, where many rebel groups operate because Congo’s central government has limited control there.

More than 120,000 people will lose land to make way for the oil project, according to an evaluation by the environmental group Friends of the Earth. But in Uganda, an East African country whose authorities see the pipeline as key to economic development, opposition to the project has sparked indignation. Ugandan authorities say oil wealth can lift millions out of poverty and that stopping the pipeline now would be detrimental to the country's interests. The national assembly issued a statement Thursday asserting Uganda's sovereignty and condemning the EU parliament's resolution. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation and TotalEnergies said in February that the total investment would be more than $10 billion.

Voters in Kenya are choosing a successor to President Uhuru Kenyatta next week after his decade in power.

The Biden administration likes to say Russia is isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's Foreign Minister and France's President are visiting this week along with visits by U.S. officials in what some say is the most intense competition for influence there since the Cold War.

Russia Ukraine War FILE - Secretary of State Antony Blinken sits with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States ambassador to the United Nations, as they meet with African ministers at United Nations headquarters, May 18, 2022. Russian, French and American leaders are crisscrossing Africa Wednesday, July 27, 2022, to win support for their positions on the war in Ukraine, an intense competition for influence the continent has not seen since the Cold War. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emanuel Macron are each visiting several African countries this week. Moscow's influence in Africa was on display in March during the U.N. vote to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov voiced support for reform of the U.N. Security Council to give African countries permanent seats and greater influence.

Russian, French and American leaders are crisscrossing Africa to win support for their positions on the war in Ukraine, waging what some say is the most intense competition for influence on the continent since the Cold War

Russian, French and American leaders are crisscrossing Africa to win support for their positions on the war in Ukraine, waging what some say is the most intense competition for influence on the continent since the Cold War.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Russia's foreign minister said his country supports reforming the U.N. Security Council to give a more powerful role to developing nations, including African countries. Sergey Lavrov spoke Tuesday in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, after meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. "We confirmed our positions when it comes to the reforming of the U.N. Security Council," Lavrov said. Lavrov will end his trip with a visit to Ethiopia, the headquarters of the 54-nation African Union. African leaders in recent months have pressed for Africa's permanent representation on the U.N. Security Council.

Russia’s foreign minister said his country supports reforming the U.N. Security Council to give a more powerful role to developing nations, including African countries

Russia’s foreign minister said his country supports reforming the U.N. Security Council to give a more powerful role to developing nations, including African countries.

Ugandans protesting the rapidly rising cost of living barricaded streets in the eastern city of Jinja, a major center on the busy highway to the country’s border with Kenya

Would-be financiers of a planned oil pipeline in Uganda and Tanzania will be in breach of benchmark guidelines on financing big infrastructure projects if they go ahead, according to a report shared with The Associated Press.

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been criminally charged by authorities who accuse him of inciting violence with his efforts to stage street protests against rising commodity prices that the government largely blames on the war in Ukraine

A Ugandan opposition figure who is calling for street protests against rising commodity prices is being detained inside his home by police

Public fetes celebrating the son of Uganda's leader are raising concern that he is aiming for the presidency after years of apparently being groomed to succeed his father, President Yoweri Museveni, who has held power since 1986.

A Belgian businessman sanctioned by the U.S. over allegations of illicit gold trade in Congo said Friday the action undermines efforts to improve transparency in a region seeing rising official exports of the mineral.

Uganda has slammed as “undue interference” the International Court of Justice’s ruling that it must pay $325 million to Congo over violence in the late 1990s

Uganda has slammed as “undue interference” the International Court of Justice’s ruling that it must pay $325 million to Congo over violence in the late 1990s.

Uganda Writer Flees FILE - Kakwenza Rukirabashaija displays scars on his back that he claims were inflicted while he was tortured for weeks in detention, at a house in Kampala, Uganda on Feb. 8, 2022. The prominent writer and government critic who accused Uganda's security forces of torture has gone into exile ahead of his looming criminal trial, his attorney said Wednesday, Feb 9, 2022. Opposition politicians, activists and others increasingly accuse the security forces — especially the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence — of torturing suspects in custody. Rukirabashaija alleged that he was a recent victim of torture at the hands of state agents who repeatedly attacked him while in detention. His case has renewed focus on the alleged excesses of the security forces in enforcing Museveni’s authority.

The lawyer for a prominent Ugandan writer and government critic who accused the security forces of torture says that his client has gone into exile ahead of his looming criminal trial.

Ugandan authorities are seeking to legally mandate vaccines in draft legislation aimed at boosting the East African country's drive to inoculate more people against COVID-19.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — The European Union and the United States are raising alarm over torture allegedly perpetrated by Uganda's security forces, with a prominent writer and government critic saying that he is a recent victim. Nor has it responded to the torture allegations. Rukirabashaija is charged with offensive communication allegedly targeting Museveni and his son, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who commands Uganda's infantry forces. His case has renewed focus on the alleged excesses of the security forces in enforcing Museveni’s authority. Uganda’s elections are often marred by allegations of fraud and abuses by security forces.

The European Union and the United States are raising alarm over torture allegedly perpetrated by Uganda’s security forces, with a prominent writer and government critic saying he is a recent victim.

The China National Offshore Oil Corporation and the French energy conglomerate TotalEnergies said Tuesday that the investment in Uganda would be more than $10 billion. That sum includes about $3.5 billion to be spent constructing a heated pipeline linking oil fields in western Uganda to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga in Tanzania. Uganda is estimated to have recoverable oil reserves of at least 1.4 billion barrels. This means the investors are firmly committed to extracting Uganda's oil resources and will proceed to award major contracts. Others have warned against the personalization of oil resources and heavy borrowing by national budget authorities anticipating oil revenue.

Uganda and a group of investors have announced their decision to finally proceed with oil production following years of setbacks that threatened the East African country’s efforts to become an oil exporter.

Rwandan authorities on Monday opened the Uganda border to truckers after nearly three years of a tense standoff, but other travelers were held back by immigration officials.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Rwandan authorities said early Friday they would reopen the border with Uganda, ending nearly three years of a standoff that appeared to hurt both countries' economies and raised fears of armed hostilities. Rwanda’s government also ordered its citizens not to travel to Uganda, claiming that Rwandan citizens were not safe across the border. Tensions between Rwanda and Uganda raised fears of possible armed conflict as Kagame and Museveni made threatening remarks at public events. Many parts of eastern Congo remain lawless, with armed groups still operating there. Some analysts have been concerned any tensions between Uganda and Rwanda could lead to a proxy conflict in eastern Congo.

Rukirabashaija, a writer of satirical fiction, won bail earlier on Tuesday following a court session in which he appeared before a magistrate via video conference. He was ordered not to publicly discuss details of his detention as a condition of his bail. But it appears security officials then removed him from the maximum-security prison where he was being held. The writer has been detained twice before over his work highlighting the failures of Museveni, Uganda’s leader since 1986. Rukirabashaija's Twitter handle was disabled while he was in custody.

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.

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.