Ugandan police arrest opposition leader in teargas raid
Kizz Besigye detained during fifth protest march over rising cost of food and fuel
Police have fired teargas into the vehicle of Uganda's top opposition leader and arrested him during a fifth protest march over rising costs.
Kizza Besigye's detention came the day after he was released from prison, where he was held leading a similar "walk to work" protest march last week. Besigye says the demonstrations are to protest against government corruption and the rising cost of food and fuel.
A police spokeswoman, Judith Nabakooba, said Besigye was arrested for not following police orders and for leading a chaotic demonstration that caused traffic jams and saw his supporters throw stones at passing vehicles. He was arrested about 1 mile (1.5km) from Kampala's city centre.
In Besigye's first protests he attempted to walk to Kampala from his country home. But during his last two marches he drove closer to the city centre before beginning his walk, which attracted hundreds of supporters in the street.
An Associated Press reporter who witnessed Thursday's arrest said Besigye briefly got out of his vehicle but locked himself in it when police approached. Officers used an axe and the butts of their guns to smash open a window, then fired teargas inside.
AP photos showed Besigye using his shirt to wipe his eyes from the effects of the gas. On his right hand was a white cast – he has said police broke one of his fingers last week by shooting him with a rubber bullet during a demonstration.
Besigye came second in Uganda's February presidential election to Yoweri Museveni. It was his third straight loss to Museveni and threatened to end his political career. But Uganda has seen huge rises in food and fuel prices in recent months, giving Besigye – and his protests – a political resurrection.
Museveni has vowed to crack down on the protests and has said repeatedly his government won't be overthrown like those in Egypt and Tunisia. Museveni has led Uganda for 25 years. Official returns showed him winning 68% of the February vote, though Besigye says those returns were falsified and both he and Museveni got just under 50%.
Besigye told AP in an interview at his home last week that many Ugandans faced a "crisis of survival", the healthcare system had broken down and young people could not find jobs.
Besigye was the president's personal doctor before being dismissed for saying in 1999 that the government was becoming a dictatorship.
Uganda is a young country, with half of its nearly 35 million citizens under the age of 15. An estimated 1.2 million have HIV/Aids and the average yearly income is $1,200 (£720).
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