afrol News, 17 November - The arrest of Uganda's opposition leader Kizza Besigye turns out to be a miscalculation of President Yoweri Museveni. It has sparked the first serious riots in Kampala for a long time and it has alienated President Museveni's foremost ally, Washington. While the US calls for a fair and speedy trial, President Museveni warns against foreign interference in Uganda.

During the Bush administration, Uganda has turned into one of the US' key allies in Africa. Washington has kept a low profile regarding Uganda's obvious democracy deficit, human rights abuses and Kampala's delicate role in Congo Kinshasa (DRC). Instead, Uganda has been strongly supported in the fight against the cruel Lord Resistance Army (LRA) in the north.

The arrest of opposition leader Besigye on Monday, followed by treason charges against him and riots in Kampala, however went over the line in Washington's eyes. Mr Besigye, the only challenger with a realistic chance to beat President Museveni in the March 2006 presidential election, risks the death penalty, but in any way will find it difficult to campaign for his candidacy.

US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli today was exceptionally critical towards the Museveni government in his statements. Indeed, it had been the government's handling of Mr Besigye's case and his 22 co-defendants that had "incited violence among its supporters and those of the opposition," Mr Ereli said.

Washington urged the Ugandan government "to examine the basis for the charges against Dr Besigye and his co-defendants carefully and to honour Uganda's commitments under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights," the US spokesman told the press in Washington. While acknowledging the Ugandan judiciary's right to test treason charges against Mr Besigye, the US wants the case to be fast enough to allow him a chance of standing candidate in March, if cleared.

Mr Ereli however also called on the opposition "to act responsibly" and work together with authorities "to create an environment of peaceful political expression, fair political competition, and to preserve public order." He condemned the "acts of violence" committed by Mr Besigye's followers and authorities during the riots.

President Museveni, however, remains defiant. Yesterday night, the Ugandan leader at a party convention told foreigners not to interfere in Uganda's internal affairs. The remarks came as an answer to protests by foreign diplomats stationed in Uganda voiced in a meeting with government ministers. The Kampala government claims that the national judiciary is independent and should not be influenced by foreign powers.

Human rights activists however strongly doubt the independence of Uganda's judiciary from political influence. According to Jemera Rone form the US-based group Human Rights Watch, it was now up to the Uganda government "to demonstrate that Besigye's arrest is not politically motivated." The group referred to the general perception that authorities had pressed capital charges against Mr Besigye "to prevent him from campaigning for President."

Mr Besigye, who heads the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, claimed he had won the 2001 presidential election, which observers said were flawed. From late 2001 until three weeks ago, Mr Besigye has been in South African exile claiming Ugandan authorities planned to kill him. During his exile, Ugandan authorities never sought his extradition.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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