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world news Diaranson 13 Januari 2021

Uganda's leader says social media shut down ahead of polls

(AP) — Ugandan Presi- sponse to the president's lent, urged his supporters not
dent Yoweri Museveni comments. to be intimidated by the se-
said Tuesday that his gov- curity forces.
ernment has shut down Many Ugandans said Tues-
social media ahead of a day that Facebook and What- Wine, whose real name is
tense election on Thurs- sApp were not working. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, earlier
day, accusing Facebook Twitter also appears to have on Tuesday joined other op-
and unnamed outside been affected. position figures in criticizing
groups of “arrogance” af- widespread violence by secu-
ter the social network this There are fears the internet rity forces. He told reporters
week removed Ugandan will be shut down on polling that soldiers raided his home
accounts linked to his re- day. Tuesday morning, arrested a
election campaign. security guard and beat two
“This is unfortunate but it is gardeners badly.
“That social channel you are unavoidable. There is no way
talking about, if it is going to anybody can come around “The terror, frankly, is un-
operate in Uganda, it should and play with our country, to precedented,” said Kizza security forces. has not been convicted of any
be used equitably by every- decide who is good, who is Besigye, a veteran opposi- charges.
body who wants to use it,” bad. We cannot accept that," tion leader who challenged The leading opposition
Museveni said of Facebook Museveni said, adding that Museveni in four elections. candidates said they had Uganda's 76-year-old presi-
in a national address. “If you he “cannot tolerate this arro- “Violence, terror seem to be launched a concerted effort dent has defied calls for his
want to take sides against gance.” scaled up with every coming to protect against vote-rig- retirement, saying he has
the (ruling party), then that election. This election has ging at polling stations. They been elected many times by
group will not operate in Museveni, who has ruled witnessed untold violence. It are urging their supporters Ugandans who love him.
Uganda.” Uganda since 1986, has al- gets worse and worse by the to stay within 100 meters of
leged repeatedly that foreign day.” polling stations rather than Ugandan polls are often
Museveni, dressed in a mili- groups are trying to meddle return home as the electoral marred by allegations of rig-
tary jacket, said he was “sure in Uganda's election, without The army spokeswoman commission is demanding. ging. The country has never
the government has closed providing evidence. He has did not respond to a request That means potential con- seen a peaceful transfer of
social media" and apologized accused his main challenger, for comment. The police frontations with security power since independence
to Ugandans for what he the popular singer and op- spokesman was unavailable. forces. from Britain in 1962.
called an inconvenience. position lawmaker known
as Bobi Wine, of being “an At least 54 people were killed Ugandan authorities have as- As concerns rise, United Na-
Facebook on Monday said it agent of foreign interests.” in Kampala and other parts of serted an urgent need to pre- tions spokesman Stephane
had removed a network of Wine denies this. the country in November as vent the spread of the corona- Dujarric told reporters Tues-
accounts and pages that “used security forces put down ri- virus in imposing restrictions day that Secretary-General
fake and duplicate accounts The atmosphere in Uganda ots provoked by the arrest of on presidential candidates, Antonio Guterres "urges the
to manage pages, comment is increasingly charged ahead Wine for allegedly violating including a ban on campaigns Ugandan authorities, par-
on other people’s content, of voting. Police and military campaign regulations aimed in Kampala and other urban ticularly the security forces,
impersonate users, re-share personnel now patrol the at preventing the spread of areas. to act in a manner that re-
posts in groups to make them streets in parts of the capital, the coronavirus. spects international human
appear more popular than Kampala, and the military is Many among Wine’s cam- rights standards, and he also
they were." The network was in charge of all security op- Those deaths form a critical paign team are now in deten- encourages all political actors
linked to a government min- erations in the Kampala met- part of Wine’s petition to the tion. Wine has been arrested and their supporters to pub-
istry, it said. ropolitan area. International Criminal Court many times and sometimes licly commit to conduct their
to investigate alleged acts of beaten in the past year for political activities peacefully
There was no immediate Wine, who insisted Tuesday torture, mutilation and mur- alleged offenses such as dis- and refrain from incitement
Facebook statement in re- that his campaign is nonvio- der of civilian protesters by obeying lawful orders. He to violence or hate speech.”

Official: Africa secures close to 300 million vaccine doses

(AP) — The African ence adviser for the Africa The 300 million doses are The news comes as corona- ity,” he said, but African of-
Union has secured close Centers for Disease Control being secured independently virus infections spike again ficials are still waiting on the
to 300 million COVID-19 and Prevention, told The As- of the global COVAX effort in parts of Africa, especially details, so “we’re happy we
vaccine doses in the larg- sociated Press in an interview aimed at distributing CO- South Africa, where a rapidly have alternative solutions.”
est such agreement yet for that the current AU chair, VID-19 vaccines to lower- spreading variant of the coro- Ndembi said African officials
Africa, a continental offi- South African President income countries, Ndembi navirus now makes up most have approached at least 10
cial said Tuesday. Cyril Ramaphosa, is expect- said. of the new cases. The conti- vaccine manufacturers and
ed to announce the news on nent over the weekend sur- developers as the continent
Nicaise Ndembi, senior sci- Wednesday. “We have reached the final passed 3 million confirmed seeks to vaccinate 60% of
stage of our deals,” he said, cases since the start of the its population of 1.3 billion
referring questions about pandemic, with more than people, or about 780 million
who will be providing the 1.2 million in South Africa. people. The Africa CDC has
vaccines and at what cost to “We plan to have these by said some 1.5 billion doses
the upcoming announce- the end of the first quarter” are needed for that, assum-
ment. of 2021, Ndembi said of the ing two doses per person. It
nearly 300 million doses, estimates the effort will cost
While richer countries have which will be allocated on some $10 billion.
been urged to donate any the continental platform the
excess COVID-19 vaccine AU set up last year to make Ndembi has said he's very op-
doses to countries in need, it easier for Africa’s 54 coun- timistic that can be achieved
Ndembi said that “the Africa tries to pool their purchas- within two years. The Africa
CDC not going to table to ing power and buy pandemic CDC has warned that taking
beg for vaccines. We’re going supplies in bulk. much longer than that risks
to the table to buy....All these having the virus become en-
doses I mentioned have been “We’re expecting 600 million demic in parts of the African
procured and being paid for.” doses from the COVAX facil- continent.