KAMPALA, Uganda
Uganda's Yoweri Museveni was sworn in Wednesday for his sixth term as president, as police surrounded the home of his main opposition rival who decried the inauguration as a "sham".
Museveni, who won re-election in January
despite widespread reports of irregularities, took the oath of office at a
ceremony in Kampala broadcast on national television and attended by several
African heads of state and other foreign dignitaries.
The 76-year-old, wearing a dark blue suit and
his trademark wide-brimmed safari hat, promised to "pay true
allegiance" to the East African country he has ruled nonstop since taking
power as a rebel leader in 1986.
His victory in January was overshadowed by
the bloodiest pre-election crackdown in years, with opposition candidates
forcibly prevented from campaigning and dozens of protesters killed by security
forces.
Opposition leader Bobi Wine, who came second
to Museveni in the ballot but declared the vote rigged, said police and
soldiers had "besieged" his home on the outskirts of Kampala and
prevented him from leaving.
"Dictator Museveni is swearing in well
aware he stole the elections and disenfranchised Ugandans and he is scared of
people opposing the sham ceremony," the 39-year-old singer-turned-lawmaker
posted on his twitter page.
"Even if he has sworn in, we will
continue the struggle to dislodge him from power through peaceful means and
this will come soon."
Kizza Besigye, an opposition veteran who ran and lost against Museveni in four disputed and often violent presidential elections, was also placed under effective house arrest.
Police spokesman Fred Enanga described the
measures as "normal" precautions taken to protect Wine and Besigye.
"There was intelligence reports that
some people wanted to cause disruptions during the swearing-in ceremony and we
took precaution to provide security for some leaders, including the opposition
leaders including Bobi Wine and Besigye," he said.
"This is normal security deployment for
VIPs."
However, Enanga also said Wine was planning
to hold a parallel swearing-in ceremony and this would be "illegal and
treasonous and police will not allow him to do so."
Wine challenged the election result in court
but later withdrew his petition, saying the judiciary was stacked in favour of
Museveni.
In March he urged Ugandans to "rise up
peacefully and unarmed" in protest against Museveni's ongoing rule. Since
the election, the opposition has alleged that security forces have been
abducting their supporters.
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