"Arrest of opposition leader in Uganda sparks largest sub-Saharan protest of year" by Associated Press / April 30, 2011
KAMPALA, Uganda — Army troops and police fired at rioting demonstrators yesterday, and at least two people were killed and 120 wounded in the largest antigovernment protest in sub-Saharan Africa this year.
Rioters burned tires in downtown streets as security forces fired guns and tear gas....
Battles between protesters and police were also reported elsewhere around the country.
The protests are the first serious demonstrations in sub-Saharan Africa since a wave of antigovernment protests swept leaders in Tunisia and Egypt out of power. President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, who has been in power for a quarter century, has vowed repeatedly that his government will not be taken down by protests.
That is the same thing they all said.
The breakout of violence came one day after a brutal takedown of the country’s top opposition politician, Kizza Besigye. Police smashed through the window of Besigye’s vehicle with the butt of a gun and doused him with tear gas at close range before bundling him into the back of a pickup truck and speeding off....
I expect to see U.S. criticism at any minute.
Besigye was freed on bail Thursday but did not make any public appearances or statements yesterday. Radio reports quoted an aide as saying that Besigye was in poor health, and that he was leaving the country for treatment.
Besigye withstood long volleys of tear gas sprayed directly on him Thursday, but it was not clear how sick or injured he was. Attempts to reach his aides for comment failed.
You would be in poor health after that, too.
Besigye has held five “walk to work’’ demonstrations to protest rising prices and what he calls a corrupt government....
A Uganda police spokeswoman said the police were working to contain the demonstrations....
--more--"
Yeah, that's a good thing:
"Police unit in Uganda is accused of abuses; Report alleges torture, killings" by Josh Kron, New York Times / March 24, 2011
KAMPALA, Uganda — The Ugandan government has engaged in torture, illegal detention, and extrajudicial killings of its citizens, according to a report released yesterday.
Let me guess: U.S. ally
The report, by Human Rights Watch, focuses on the activities of an agency known as the Rapid Response Unit, a branch of Uganda’s police service created to tackle violent crime. The unit has also become a US ally in combating terrorism. Most recently, it helped investigate the terrorist attacks in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, during the World Cup last year, when more than 70 people died.
Related: "Al-CIA-Duh" Expanding Operations in East Africa
How come their aim is always off?
The report, compiled over 13 months, says members of the response unit, called the RRU, have repeatedly broken the law.
“Since the unit was established, RRU officers and affiliated personnel have carried out arrests for a wide range of crimes, from petty theft to terrorism,’’ it said. The unit, the report contends, is “known for practices that flout basic legal safeguards in Ugandan and international law.’’
************
Common abuses included beatings on wrists, ankles, knees, and elbows while suspects were handcuffed in stress positions.
No waterboard rides?
“RRU personnel beat detainees with batons, sticks, bats, metal pipes, padlocks, table legs, and other objects,’’ the report said. “Suspects often said they were forced to sign confessions under duress following torture.’’
I'm signing in about two seconds. I'm old and broken down, and simply can't stand the pain. It hurts to move these days, never mind the "help."
According to the report, members of the response unit committed six extrajudicial killings in 2010; some people were beaten to death, and some shot, including one person who was handcuffed when he was shot.
Human Rights Watch described the response unit as the “preferred unit’’ for those seeking confessions “by any means.’’
“In cases we looked at by RRU, suspects were beaten until they confessed, paraded before journalists and dubbed hard-core criminals, and then put on trial before military officers,’’ said Maria Burnett, a researcher for the group in Uganda. “There is no presumption of innocence and little chance of a fair trial.’’
Uganda's Gitmo!!
The report’s findings could be a cause for concern for the United States, a strong ally of Uganda and a partner in trying to counter terrorist threats in East Africa.
That's why this report is a one-day wonder.
The FBI sent 60 agents to Uganda to help investigate the bombing during the World Cup....
What is a domestic agency doing in the heart of Africa?
In once instance, Human Rights Watch said, response unit officers working with FBI agents threatened a man who had refused to be an FBI informant.
Related: What Happens When You Don't Cooperate With The FBI
You get framed.
“The United States continues to encourage Ugandan security services to respect human rights and the rule of law in pursuit of justice,’’ the US Embassy in Kampala said. “We routinely work with the military and law enforcement to enhance the professionalization of these services and will continue to do so.’’
Does anyone in the world take that talk seriously anymore? I never do.
--more--"
