Concerns over democracy in Uganda

Yoweri Museveni

KAMPALA - Uganda's biggest aid donor Britain has cut £15 million ($39.37 million) in aid and frozen another £5 million over the arrest of an Opposition leader and other concerns about President Yoweri Museveni's rule.

The announcement yesterday occurred days after Sweden said it was withholding about US$8 million ($11.7 million) of budgetary aid over similar concerns.

Foreign donors fund almost half of Government spending. But they were alarmed at the recent arrest of Opposition leader Kizza Besigye on return from exile to prepare for next year's presidential elections, and are also concerned about democracy in Uganda.

Museveni, 62, has ruled Uganda for 19 years and is favourite to win the February 23 presidential polls after a parliamentary vote earlier this year abolished term limits that would have barred him standing for a third term.

The British High Commission in Kampala said the aid cut was due to concerns over "the Government's commitment to the independence of the judiciary, freedom of the press and freedom of association" following Besigye's arrest.

British International Development Minister Hilary Benn told Parliament money would be re-allocated to northern Uganda through the United Nations. Britain has given Uganda about £740 million since Museveni came to power in 1986.

Ugandan Information Minister Nsaba Buturo said Britain and Sweden had a right to do what they wanted with their money, but accused them of ganging up on Kampala. "[It is] co-ordinated pressure in the mistaken view that they will derail the way we are doing things," he told the Daily Monitor. "They have a different notion of democracy and we don't believe that what we have here is not democracy."

- REUTERS