Government warns over demonstrations against Bush visit

The Ugandan opposition party, the Ugandan People’s Congress (UPC) – headed by exiled twice-former Ugandan president Milton Obote – has confirmed that it plans to hold a demonstration against US President George W. Bush’s visit to the country, scheduled for mid-July. Speaking at a press conference at the UPC headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday, resident party secretary Dr James Rwanyarere told journalists: “We intend to demonstrate on the streets of Kampala all the way to Entebbe against President Bush’s embrace of dictatorship in Uganda”. “Even if police forcefully stop us reaching Entebbe, our message will still be heard,” Rwanyarere said. The Ugandan government has warned that it will crack down hard on any unlawfulness or civil disobedience coinciding with the Bush visit. Internal Affairs Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda told IRIN he advised the parties to “stay well within the law” when expressing their views about the visit. Bush’s visit to Uganda is part of tour of several African states, including Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana and Senegal aimed at promoting the administration's HIV/AIDS programme and the Millennium Challenge Account foreign aid initiative.