AFRICA/UGANDA - Christian leaders call for the release of opposition leader

Kampala (Agenzia Fides) - During the Easter holidays several Ugandan Christian leaders launched appeals for the release of opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, under house arrest since 19 February. Besigye was arrested during the elections that saw the reappointment of President Yoweri Museveni, in power for 30 years (see Fides 19/02/2016).
"We must work towards uniting the people of our Country", said His Exc. Mgr. John Baptist Kaggwa, Bishop of Masaka, while celebrating Easter Day Mass, and called on the government to end the house arrest of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party leader.
Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali, again on Easter Sunday said "Let us pray for Dr Besigye who is under house arrest such that he is freed by government".
Another Anglican Bishop, Johnson Gakumba Diocese of Northern Uganda, appealed for dialogue to resolve the political crisis. "If I were President Museveni - he said during the Easter celebration in Gulu – I would talk with Dr Besigye. This will help move this nation forward".
According to authorities, Kizza Besigye has been placed in a state of preventive arrest to prevent him from organizing protests likely to disturb public order. The opposition however interpreted his arrest as a plan to rally citizens to a mass uprising in protest of what he termed as election rigging which subverts the will of the people. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/03/2016)

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