The U.S. government spokesman today (19) accused the United States of trying to overturn the results of Uganda’s presidential election last week after the U.S. ambassador to Uganda was prevented from trying to visit opposition leader Wynne, who was under house arrest.
The Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, won re-election. (Photo/revised from Twitter @KagutaMuseveni)
The Ugandan government held a general election on the 14th. Yoweri Museveni, 76, who has been in power since 1986, won re-election, defeating singer-turned-MP Bobi Wine with 59% to 35% of the vote.
But Museveni has been accused of pre-election crackdowns on opposition and media oppression, and Wine has accused election fraud.
Shortly after Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, cast his ballot on the 14th, troops surrounded his residence.
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement last night saying that U.S. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown was not allowed to visit Wynne’s residence in the northern suburbs of the capital.
Today’s public and vocal criticism of the United States by the Ugandan government is relatively unusual, given that the United States and Uganda are allies.
The United States supports Ugandan soldiers in African Union peacekeeping operations in Somalia and has contributed about $1.5 billion to Uganda’s health sector over the past three years.
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