How International Media Covered Bobi Wine Protests

When presidential candidate Robert Kyaggulanyi aka Bobi Wine walked out of the Iganga Chief Magistrate’s court a free man last week after his brutal arrest and two-day incarceration, Uganda had already earned herself some unwelcome international attention and headlines drawn from protests sparked by Bobi’s arrest and the brutal push by law enforcement to put them down.

His violent arrest in the full focus of the media and the sheer brute force used by law enforcement to quell supporters’ protests that followed drew a steady stream of intense local and international news coverage. The Guardian, CNN, France 24, BBC, AP News, Al Jazeera and New York Times covered the protests that drew an angry uproar and killed an estimated 45 people.

Below is how the foreign media framed the story….

Bobi Wine protests: Death toll rises in Uganda’s worst unrest in years THE GUARDIAN –

At least 19 people have been killed in Uganda over two days in the country’s worst unrest in a decade, as security forces try to quell protests triggered by the arrest of presidential candidate Bobi Wine. Young people burned tyres and blockaded streets in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, on Thursday (November 19), and soldiers fanned out across the city with armoured vehicles, a day after the arrest of Wine, a popular reggae singer who is the leading challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in forthcoming elections.

“This is a war-like situation, so the army has to deploy,” Brig Flavia Byekwaso, a military spokesperson, told Reuters. “You can see what is going on, people are being stoned, people are being killed, vehicles are being vandalised, tyres everywhere. These things are spontaneous on all streets, so police cannot handle such a situation.”

Images posted on social media showed police in Kampala firing indiscriminately at people in buildings overlooking the protests and unidentifiable men in plain- clothes, believed to be security personnel, firing automatic weapons. More than 350 people were arrested, police said. The exact death toll in the unrest, which spread to other cities during the day, is uncertain.

Kampala’s main mortuary reported receiving 19 bodies, with postmortems revealing the causes of death as gunshots, suffocation from teargas and injuries sustained by a “hit and run” car accident, The Observer, a local newspaper, reported. Dr Byarugaba Baterana, the executive director of the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala told reporters that a further nine people who had been admitted at the hospital ward had died of their injuries. The police reported between seven and 16 deaths.

“We want warn the youths who have been lured into participating in illegal activities to desist from participating in such acts,” said Patrick Onyango, a Kampala police spokesman.

“The joint security teams are on top of the situation and will handle anyone who attempts to destabilise the capital city.” Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was detained on Wednesday while campaigning in eastern Uganda after authorities accused the 38-year old of violating anti-coronavirus measures by holding mass rallies. Moments later, spontaneous protests erupted in Kampala and several other major towns. Security personnel responded with teargas.

A journalist who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said he had seen troops firing automatic rifles. Byekwaso, the army spokeswoman, said squads of both military and police had clashed with protesters in different parts of Kampala. At least two witnesses in the city told Reuters some streets in the city centre were deserted.

Schools and universities were reported to have postponed exams scheduled next week following the outbreak of violence. Wine has been attracting massive crowds and his campaign has rattled the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). Museveni told a rally in Karamoja region that the protesters were “being used by outsiders … homosexuals and others who don’t like the stability and independence of Uganda. But they will discover what they are looking for. We shall not tolerate confused people. They are playing with fire”.

Earlier this month, Wine was temporarily blinded by police when he was arrested moments after being successfully certified as a candidate in next year’s election. Security forces have frequently fired teargas at his rallies and detained and beaten his supporters.

In a statement issued before Wine’s detention on Wednesday, police had warned that presidential candidates would be arrested if they flouted guidelines limiting attendance at rallies to 200 people during the Covid-19 pandemic. …………………………………………………………………..

Bobi Wine: Presidential rival’s arrest sparks deadly protests BBC —

Sixteen people have been killed in two days of protests in Uganda triggered by the arrest of musician-turned-presidential candidate Bobi Wine. The deaths occurred during security operations, police said in a statement, adding that a further 65 people had been injured and about 350 arrested.

The cause of the deaths or the nature of the injuries was not disclosed. Bobi Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi, was arrested on Wednesday (November 18) for violating Covid-19 restrictions, police said. The 38-year-old has been accused of flouting coronavirus prevention guidelines against drawing large crowds following a campaign rally in the east of the country.

The musician is among 11 candidates challenging President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. The election will be held on January 14 next year. On a second day of protests across the country, security forces fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse people in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Demonstrators have been burning tyres and rubbish in the streets and blockading roads in the city.

Businesses have closed and there is a heavy police presence. Bobi Wine’s Twitter account shows plainclothes men roaming the city, shooting into the air. This is the worst violence to erupt on the streets of Uganda since Bobi Wine was nominated as a presidential candidate.

On Thursday morning, the BBC saw members of the security forces entering shopping malls in Kampala’s city centre to chase people out, or firing tear gas inside to flush them out. Traders and their customers were pouring out in their hundreds with their hands in the air. Much of the violence is being documented by ordinary Ugandans and posted on social media.

Ugandans online have expressed anger and shock at the amount of force used by the police – and at the lives lost. The opposition say the enforcement of the coronavirus prevention restrictions is being applied selectively. Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni has continued to campaign uninterrupted – while he has not addressed crowds, his supporters have been gathering to welcome him in cities and towns.

A government spokesman, Ofwono Opondo, said that police had responded appropriately. He blamed the protesters for not seeking more “peaceful methods” to raise and “resolve” their concerns using legal means. Earlier this month, dozens of his supporters were arrested as they escorted him through the streets of Kampala when he was cleared by the electoral commission to run in next year’s presidential election.

Since he expressed his presidential ambitions, police and the military have repeatedly dispersed his rallies, and beaten and detained his supporters. …………………………………………………………………..

Death toll climbs as protests over Bobi Wine’s arrest continue (CNN) –

Sixteen people have been killed in Kampala in two days of protest over the arrest of presidential opposition candidate Bobi Wine. At a press conference Thursday (November 19), Uganda Police’s chief pathologist Moses Byaruhanga said 14 of the fatalities were caused by gunshot wounds.

The death toll only includes victims who were brought to the city’s mortuary. At the same press conference, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said more than 300 people have been arrested as protests continue. Wine, the popular musician-turned- politician was arrested while campaigning in Eastern Uganda, according to his staff — just weeks after a prior arrest. He was denied access to his lawyers and medical team, a tweet from Wine’s official account claimed on Thursday.

“Only army & police officers have access to him. The violation of his rights with impunity must be condemned by all persons of good conscience,” it read. Ugandan police did not immediately respond to calls from CNN, but in a statement posted on its official website on Wednesday (November 18), the Inspector General pointed to tightened Covid-19 enforcement around campaign events.

While authorities have said the restrictions are necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19, opposition members say that they are an excuse to curb campaigning and intimidate opposition supporters before the upcoming January election. Following news of Wine’s arrest, protesters took to the streets of Kampala, clashing with police and military who responded with tear gas. Another presidential candidate, Mugisha Muntu, announced that he would pause his campaign until the release.

“The Government must ensure the safety of all election candidates and their supporters, whatever political affiliation,” tweeted the European Union’s foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell Fontelles on Thursday. The Red Cross in Uganda said it was offering medical assistance to people injured during the protests, the humanitarian agency said on Thursday.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has been at loggerheads with authorities in Uganda since he entered the political fray. He joined politics as an independent in 2017 and has remained a thorn in President Yoweri Museveni’s side, condemning his policies and singing songs against his government. Wine’s presidential bid now challenges Museveni’s three-decade grip on power. He was previously arrested in early November after handing in his nomination papers to the election body. …………………………………………………………………..

16 people killed in protests over arrest of Bobi Wine AL JAZEERA –

Several people have been killed in Uganda in army and police operations to quell protests that broke out over the arrest of presidential candidate and pop star Bobi Wine, authorities said. On Thursday (November 19), soldiers fanned out across the city, some in armoured vehicles.

Troops and police fired tear gas, live bullets and water cannon to disperse and detain protesters on the second day of clashes. A total of 16 people had been killed and 65 wounded, police said, without specifying details. A further 350 were arrested in the clashes. Moments after Wine was detained while campaigning in eastern Uganda on Wednesday, spontaneous protests erupted in Kampala and several towns.

Youths set up roadblocks on key roads and lit fires before being dispersed by police.

“All the police is doing is just attacking us,” Fetsus Ojing, a Kampala resident, told Al Jazeera. “Bobi Wine is supposed to be campaigning in the villages but he is in jail again. They are just wasting his time.”

Police said those arrested would be charged with participating in unlawful demonstrations, inciting violence, damage to properties, looting and other offences. Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb reporting from Nairobi said Wine’s whereabouts were not fully known, with the police refusing to comment.

“His spokesman said he is in a high- security police facility, in the eastern city of Jinja,” Webb reported. “Police haven’t confirmed where he is. Wine’s lawyers and his spokesman have said he hasn’t been given access to legal representation or to his medical team. They are worried he may be injured.”

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was detained on Wednesday after authorities accused him of violating anti-coronavirus measures by holding mass rallies. He has emerged as the strongest challenger to veteran leader Yoweri Museveni who has ruled the East African country of 42 million since 1986.

Museveni said in a statement Uganda was losing people to coronavirus and warned he would not tolerate any violations of anti-coronavirus measures during campaigns. Voters are due to go to the polls on January 14 to elect their next president and lawmakers. Museveni, 76, is seeking a sixth term in office.

“This is a war-like situation, so the army has to deploy,” army spokeswoman Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso said earlier on Thursday, justifying the heavy deployment of the military. …………………………………………………………………..

Deadly protests erupt in Uganda after arrest of 2 opposition figures THE NEW YORK TIMES —

The national police in Uganda said Thursday (November 19) that at least 16 people had been killed and hundreds arrested in protests that erupted across the country after two presidential candidates were arrested while campaigning ahead of a highly anticipated January election.

The violence began Wednesday as word of the arrests spread in the East African nation, where President Yoweri Museveni is vying for a record sixth term in office. A deputy police spokesman, Patrick Onyango, said in a statement broadcast on a Ugandan news station on Thursday that the death toll stood at 16, more than double the figure late Wednesday, and that rioting was continuing around the capital Kampala and elsewhere in the country.

At least 300 people were arrested, the police said. The unrest in Uganda echoes recent election-related violence in other African countries, including Guinea, Tanzania and Ivory Coast, where opposition figures accused entrenched leaders of having manipulated the rules and rigged the polls in order to extend their stay in power.

In Uganda, the arrest of Bobi Wine, one of the presidential candidates and a popular musician-turned-lawmaker, was based on accusations that his rallies had breached coronavirus rules.

“The majority of the participants had no safeguards of face masks, physical distancing and proper hygiene,” a police statement said.

Another presidential contender, Patrick Amuriat, was arrested in the northwestern town of Gulu, accused of planning to hold an unauthorized assembly. He was later released. It was the second time this month that the police had detained these same two candidates. The authorities had also previously arrested Mr. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, on several occasions, severely beat him in custody and even killed his driver.

They had also raided his party offices and confiscated election materials. The arrests on Wednesday fueled protests in major cities like Jinja and Masaka, and in the capital, Kampala, and its suburbs. Video and social media posts showed demonstrators burning tyres, and there were reports of looting and vandalism as officers used tear gas to disperse the crowds.

The police said they had arrested several people in connection with the violence. A leading television station, NTV Uganda, said officers had confiscated equipment as one of its reporters covered the protests. The demonstrations come barely two months before a general election in which Mr. Museveni will face off with 10 other candidates.

Mr. Museveni, 76, is one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers and has presided over the East African nation since 1986, after the ouster of the dictator Idi Amin. Although Mr. Museveni is credited with bringing peace, promoting economic growth and reducing rates of AIDS, his government has faced criticism over grow- ing corruption, widespread surveillance tactics and intolerance of dissent.

In 2017, he approved a measure that scrapped the presidential age limit of 75, allowing him to run for another term. Mr. Wine, 38, is running on a platform of change and a promise to oversee a “people- centered” government that would ensure equal access to education, health care and economic development.

His rise exemplifies a standoff in recent years between aging despots and young voters in Africa, a trend also playing out in countries like Algeria, Cameroon, Sudan and Zimbabwe. On Tuesday, in a video posted to his Facebook page, dozens of security officers could be seen surrounding his vehicle in Luuka before taking him to a detention van. In other footage posted by his political party, the National Unity Platform, Mr. Wine, with a red face mask dangling from his chin, urged officers to “be nonviolent.”

He was then transported to a police station, where the authorities said he was “interrogated on charges of negligent conduct likely to spread an infectious disease, obstruction, incitement to violence and holding unauthorized assemblies.” The National Unity Platform tweeted out a charge sheet that said Mr. Wine was being detained for holding a rally of more than 200 people. …………………………………………………………………..

More than a dozen killed in protests over arrest of Bobi Wine FRANCE 24 –

At least 37 people have been killed in two days of violent clashes between Ugandan security forces and supporters of detained opposition leader Bobi Wine, police said Friday, as tensions flared two months before a presidential election. Ugandan security forces fired teargas and rubber bullets at angry protesters who set fires, barricaded roads and looted stores in the capital Kampala, as calls mounted for calm ahead of the January 14 elections.

The popstar-turned-presidential candidate Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was released on bail on Friday after being charged with holding rallies likely to spread the coronavirus. Wine had been arrested on Wednesday while campaigning in eastern Uganda for allegedly holding mass rallies in violation of restrictions on gatherings imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Police on Friday updated the death toll to 37, up from 16 on Thursday, alongside “45 injuries, some serious injuries,” Kampala police chief Moses Kafeero told AFP on Thursday, without giving details of those killed. Police spokesman Fred Enanga also told reporters that 577 suspects had been arrested across the country for alleged involvement in violence and other offences. Protests kicked off on Wednesday, when police said seven were killed, after Wine’s detention ahead of a rally.

Wine is considered the main challenger to veteran president Yoweri Museveni who is seeking a sixth term in power. Pockets of protests continued throughout the day in Kampala and other major towns, with youths barricading roads, starting fires and engaging in running battles with police who lobbed tear gas and fired rubber bullets at protesters, and in some cases, fired live bullets.

In New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Thursday called for Wine’s release.

“We call for the immediate release of the detained opposition leaders, including Bobi Wine, and it’s important that security forces act in a way that respects human rights principles and the rule of law in dealing with protesters.” The US embassy published a tweet saying it deplored the violence and extended its sympathy to the victims and their families.

“We urge all parties to renounce violence, undertake good-faith measures to reduce tensions, and respect fundamental freedoms,” it said. …………………………………………………………………..

Death toll at 37 after Bobi Wine’s arrest (AP) —

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.

A weary-looking Wine was granted bail in the eastern town of Iganga after being arrested on Wednesday and accused of flouting COVID-19 guidelines that require presidential candidates to address less than 200 people.

“Let (President Yoweri) Museveni know that we are not slaves and we shall not accept to be slaves,” Wine said. “We shall be free.” The 38-year-old opposition figure, who has been arrested many times in recent years, has captured the imagination of many Ugandans with his persistent calls for Museveni to retire after 36 years in power.

His lawyers brought the torn clothes the singer wore the day of his ar- rest on Wednesday, when protests erupted in the capital, Kampala. Police have said 350 people were arrested and detained throughout Kampala. Tension remained in the capital Thursday, with a heavy military and police presence.

The Uganda police pathologist and the head of police health services told journalists they had counted 37 bodies by Thurs- day morning. Speaking to reporters, Security Minister Gen. Elly Tumwine warned protesters that they will be dealt with if they continue. “This was a deliberate and pre-planned move to cause chaos, because we have evidence,” Tumwine asserted. “But I want to warn those inciting violence that they will reap what they sow.”