Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20220210

A30 world news
Diahuebs 10 Februari 2022

Ugandan author flees after alleged torture, says lawyer

to Uganda on Monday issued thought of denouncing my year, Rukirabashaija de-
a statement expressing con- Ugandan citizenship.” scribed Museveni as an elec-
cern over “a situation that for tion thief and Kainerugaba as
more than a year has seen a Kiiza, Rukirabashaija’s at- an overweight and “intellec-
significant increase of reports torney, believes his client tually bankrupt” soldier who
of torture, arbitrary arrests, was in the custody of the hopes to succeed his father as
enforced disappearances, ha- Special Forces Command, president.
rassment” and other attacks. an army unit that protects
the first family. The Special Rukirabashaija, who writes
Last week the U.S. cited “re- Forces Command has not satirical fiction, has been de-
curring credible accounts” commented on allegations tained twice before over his
of forced disappearances and its members held the writer. work highlighting Musev-
torture by the security forces Nor has it responded to the eni’s failures. He was last
which “reflect poorly” on torture allegations. year awarded the PEN Pinter
the government of President Prize for an international
Yoweri Museveni, who has Rukirabashaija, who said in writer of courage.
(AP) — A prominent writ- away his passport. He had no held power since 1986. court that he needed to have
er and government critic option but to go and save his his wounds treated abroad, His case has renewed focus
who accused Uganda’s se- life.” Rukirabashaija alleged that he lost his bid on Monday to on the alleged excesses of the
curity forces of torture has was a recent victim of torture regain his passport when a security forces in enforcing
gone into exile ahead of a Rukirabashaija alleged that at the hands of state agents magistrate ruled there was no Museveni’s authority.
looming criminal trial, his he was tortured by officials who repeatedly attacked him urgent need for him to travel.
attorney said Wednesday. while in detention, and pho- while in detention. A magis- Museveni, once praised as
tographs of his mutilated trate ordered him freed late His trial on charges related part of a new generation of
Kakwenza Rukirabashaija back shocked many in this last month but kept his pass- to offensive communication African leaders and a long-
fled Uganda across the land East African country. Oppo- port as a condition of his bail. was due to start in March. time U.S. security ally, still
border with Rwanda and will sition politicians, activists and He had been in custody for has support among many
settle at least temporarily in others increasingly accuse the nearly a month. Prosecutors charge that, us- Ugandans for bringing rela-
an unnamed European coun- security forces — especially ing Twitter, the writer aimed tive stability to the country.
try, Eron Kiiza told The As- the Chieftaincy of Military “They started using a pair of to “disturb the peace” of He once criticized African
sociated Press. Intelligence — of torturing pliers and plucked flesh from Museveni and his son, Lt. leaders who refused to step
suspects in custody. my thighs and everywhere,” Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, aside but has since overseen
“Conditions had become im- Rukirabashaija said in an who commands Uganda’s the removal of term limits
possible for him,” he said of The international commu- account to the local Daily infantry forces. and an age limit on Uganda’s
Rukirabashaija. “They kept nity is also taking notice. The Monitor newspaper. “That presidency.
surveilling him. They took European Union’s delegation day I thought I was dying and In a series of tweets late last

Libya PM defiant as lawmakers set to name new leader

(AP) — Libya’s prime minis- watch. It has been a major blow to in- The elections were the lynchpin of However, elections are unlikely
ter took a defiant stand Tuesday ternational efforts to end a decade of U.N.-mediated efforts to bring peace to take place within less than five
against efforts to appoint a new chaos in the oil-rich Mediterranean to the oil-rich North African nation months, since the elections com-
interim government, a position nation. mission said it needs at least eight
that could lead to a flare-up of The incumbent prime minister has months to prepare for a new vote.
conflicts between rival factions in The presidential vote was originally become a polarizing figure since And the main challenges that led to
the deeply divided nation. planned for Dec. 24, but it was post- he announced his presidential bid, the Dec. 24 vote postponement re-
poned over disputes between rival breaking his pledge not to run in main unsettled.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid factions on laws governing the elec- elections when he was appointed as
Dbeibah said in televised speech that tions and controversial presidential an interim prime minister. Libya has been wrecked by conflict
he will not hand over power as the hopefuls. Lawmakers have argued since the NATO-backed uprising
country’s parliament is scheduled to that the mandate of Dbeibah’s gov- He said he embarked on consulta- toppled then killed longtime dicta-
name a new premier on Thursday. ernment ended on Dec. 24. tions to agree on a new roadmap to tor Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The
hold elections in June, a date the country was for years split between
“I will not allow a new transitional The House of Representatives is U.N. mission in Libya seeks to re- rival administrations in the east and
period,” he said. “The Government scheduled to convene Thursday to schedule the vote. west, each supported by militias and
of National Unity will continue until name either former Interior Minister foreign governments.
handing over power to an elected ad- Fathi Bashaga or Minister-Counsel-
ministration.” lor Khalid al-Baibas as the new prime
minister.
He warned that naming a new primer
minister will lead the country back to The appointment of a new prime
“division and chaos” after nearly two minister will likely produce two par-
years of relative calm. He called for allel administrations. This increases
street protests to denounce the ap- the possibility of renewed fighting in
pointment of a new transitional gov- a country largely ruled by lawless mi-
ernment. litias and armed groups with conflict-
ing interests.
“We will not allow this class that has
been dominant for years to monopo- Dbeibah, a powerful businessman
lize the scene,” he said, accusing the from Misrata, was appointed prime
political class that controlled Libya minister in February last year as part
for the past decade of seeking to re- of a U.N.-brokered, Western-backed
main in power. political process. His government’s
main task was to steer the deeply di-
The effort to replace Dbeibah stems vided country toward national recon-
from Libya’s failure to hold its first ciliation and lead it through elections.
presidential election during his