Canada 'deeply concerned' about situation in Uganda

OTTAWA • The Canadian government is “deeply concerned” about the political situation in Uganda but says it has no plans to stop deploying a military aircraft to the African nation, where it has been helping different United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Uganda has been on edge following presidential elections last week that saw longtime president Yoweri Museveni declared the winner despite opposition allegations of fraud and other electoral violations.

Security forces have since put Museveni's main rival Robert Kyagulanyi, a popular singer better known as Bobi Wine, under house arrest, while electoral commission officials have acknowledged that results from 1,000 polling stations had not been counted.

Museveni has been president since 1986 and met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in New York in September 2017 and discussed the COVID-19 pandemic with Trudeau by phone last May. He has denied allegations that he stole the election.

Canada is nonetheless calling for investigations into reports of election irregularities and violations, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Christelle Chartrand said, and for “Ugandan authorities to grant immediate freedom of movement to opposition candidates.”

“Canada is deeply concerned by the serious restrictions exhibited during Uganda's election, including the ongoing partial internet shutdown by the government of Uganda, and restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and expression,” she added.

Wine has called for the U.S. and other donors to suspend aid contributions to Uganda, saying they are propping up Museveni's regime.

Canada provides assistance to the Ugandan people through charities and international organizations such as the UN, Global Affairs spokeswoman Patricia Skinner said.