NAIROBI, Kenya – The Bureau of African Affairs has voiced serious concerns over the alleged abduction and cross-border rendition of Ugandan opposition figures Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale, calling for transparency and respect for legal processes.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Bureau emphasized the need for clarity in the case, urging adherence to international legal protections.
“We are closely following the reports. It is important that the circumstances be clarified with transparency and full legal protections,” the statement read.
Besigye, a prominent opposition leader and four-time presidential challenger to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, was reportedly abducted in Kenya on Saturday and transported to Uganda, where he was held in a military detention facility.
His wife claimed he was being kept incommunicado under harsh conditions.
On Wednesday, Besigye appeared before the Makindye General Court Martial under heavy military escort.
He denied multiple charges, including illegal possession of firearms and alleged negotiations to purchase arms abroad.
The court ordered him to remain in custody until December 2, pending further hearings.
Lutale, a co-accused and fellow opposition figure, also appeared in court and denied the charges.
The pair are accused of possessing pistols and ammunition in Nairobi and allegedly seeking to procure arms in Geneva, Athens, and Nairobi.
The Ugandan military has not officially commented on the arrests.
However, Uganda’s Information Officer, Chris Baryomunsi, dismissed allegations of abduction, asserting that any arrests involving foreign territories would follow legal protocols with the host nation.
“So being arrested from Kenya should not be a problem. The assurance we give the country is that the [Ugandan] government does not arrest somebody and keeps him or her incommunicado for a long time,” Baryomunsi told a state broadcaster.
The case has drawn international attention, with rights groups raising alarms over what they perceive as politically motivated actions against opposition leaders.
Besigye, once President Museveni’s personal doctor, has long been a vocal critic of Museveni’s regime, accusing him of consolidating power and stifling dissent during his nearly four decades in office.
The Bureau of African Affairs has called for immediate clarification of the circumstances surrounding the arrests, warning that failure to ensure transparency and due process could undermine international confidence in Uganda’s adherence to the rule of law.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Bureau emphasized the need for clarity in the case, urging adherence to international legal protections.
“We are closely following the reports. It is important that the circumstances be clarified with transparency and full legal protections,” the statement read.
Besigye, a prominent opposition leader and four-time presidential challenger to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, was reportedly abducted in Kenya on Saturday and transported to Uganda, where he was held in a military detention facility.
His wife claimed he was being kept incommunicado under harsh conditions.
On Wednesday, Besigye appeared before the Makindye General Court Martial under heavy military escort.
He denied multiple charges, including illegal possession of firearms and alleged negotiations to purchase arms abroad.
The court ordered him to remain in custody until December 2, pending further hearings.
Lutale, a co-accused and fellow opposition figure, also appeared in court and denied the charges.
The pair are accused of possessing pistols and ammunition in Nairobi and allegedly seeking to procure arms in Geneva, Athens, and Nairobi.
The Ugandan military has not officially commented on the arrests.
However, Uganda’s Information Officer, Chris Baryomunsi, dismissed allegations of abduction, asserting that any arrests involving foreign territories would follow legal protocols with the host nation.
“So being arrested from Kenya should not be a problem. The assurance we give the country is that the [Ugandan] government does not arrest somebody and keeps him or her incommunicado for a long time,” Baryomunsi told a state broadcaster.
The case has drawn international attention, with rights groups raising alarms over what they perceive as politically motivated actions against opposition leaders.
Besigye, once President Museveni’s personal doctor, has long been a vocal critic of Museveni’s regime, accusing him of consolidating power and stifling dissent during his nearly four decades in office.
The Bureau of African Affairs has called for immediate clarification of the circumstances surrounding the arrests, warning that failure to ensure transparency and due process could undermine international confidence in Uganda’s adherence to the rule of law.
