Museveni Wants Me Arrested, Says Otunnu

[Global: Africa]

Uganda Peoples Congress president Olara Otunnu yesterday accused President Museveni of trying to arrest and keep him in custody in order to “eliminate” him.

Speaking to journalists on the day that the Constitutional Court outlawed the crime of sedition, Mr Otunnu, who faces two charges of sedition and promoting sectarianism, said imprisonment of political opponents is a tactic that President Museveni has perfected against “his perceived enemies.”

“Mr. Museveni has now perfected certain methods of dealing with his perceived enemies. One is poisoning. The second method is staging road accidents. He has already tried that. And the third method is staging robbers and criminals to do outright shooting,” he added.

However, Information Minister Kabakumba Masiko said the government has no intention of eliminating any opposition rival. Mr Otunnu says Mr Museveni wants him in custody so that he gets “the opportunity to commit his diabolic act”.

The Constitutional Court is due to make a ruling on Mr Otunnu’s appeal on the constitutionality of the charge of sectarianism. The court yesterday refused to strike down the charge in the appeal made by journalist, Andrew Mwenda.

Mr. Otunnu, who said the Lira Magistrate’s Court had already disregarded the injunction by the Constitutional Court when it issued an arrest warrant against him, said he has “no problem appearing in court provided it is acting with due respect of the law.”

Mr. Otunnu also repeated his demands for an independent inquiry into atrocities allegedly committed since 1980. The fresh demand came barely a week after the Inter-Party Cooperation failed to agree on issues surrounding accountability on who committed atrocities during the National Resistance Army war and the disbandment of the current Electoral Commission.
“A lot of innocent people were caught up in crossfire and UPC calls for thorough investigation. Whoever will be found guilty be held responsible for their actions. Whether NRA or Museveni himself,” Mr. Otunnu said.

However, Ms. Kabakumba said: “If Mr. Otunnu has information on what happened during the war, then let him give to the relevant authorities.”

www.monitor.co.ug