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Uganda's Museveni sworn in for the fourth time


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Uganda's Museveni sworn in for the fourth time

2011-05-13 01:04:35 GMT+7 (ICT)

KAMPALA, UGANDA (BNO NEWS) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday was sworn in for another five year term in office, the Daily Monitor reported.

During his inaugural speech, President Museveni urged Ugandans and the rest of Africa to reject "puppetry and stand for the genuine independence." He, however, was silent on the security forces' brutal response to recent demonstrations against soaring cost of living.

Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, was re-elected for the fourth time in February, but the opposition claims the elections were rigged. Opposition leader Kizza Besigye obtained 26% of the votes, while Museveni won with 68.38 per cent of 8,272,760 total votes.

Besigye, who has been leading a series of demonstrations against rising food and fuel prices, returned to Uganda on Thursday after receiving medical treatment for injuries he received during anti-government protests two weeks ago. The BBC reported that thousands of opposition supporters gathered to receive him as police were securing the road between the capital and the airport. Military police fired shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The BBC correspondent, however, said it seemed the security forces were given orders to let Besigye's supporters march, possibly because of the presence of visiting leaders. Several African heads of state including Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan and the Democratic Republic of Congo leader, Joseph Kabila, attended the ceremony.

Kabila's presence was significant since there were tensions between both countries between 1997 to 2003 during which Ugandan army invaded Congo. Both Uganda and Congo have been accusing each other of aiding rival renegade elements in either countries.

On Monday, women activists took to the streets of the Ugandan capital to protest the security forces' brutal response to recent demonstrations against soaring cost of living. Human Rights Watch on Sunday urged the Ugandan government to conduct an independent investigation into the use of lethal force by security forces, after at least nine unarmed people were killed by government forces.

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-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-13

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