Movt youth, UYD fight
By Robert Muhereza
Dec 8, 2003
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KABALE - Pro-Movement youth here violently disrupted a meeting organised by an opposition youth wing. The meeting, called by the Uganda Young Democrats, the youth wing of the Democratic Party at Victoria Inn yesterday, was disrupted soon after it started. A group of 10 people, who identified themselves as 'Movement vigilantes' walked into the meeting room at 10:30 a.m. and started beating up participants. "Why are you here and who are you?" one of them asked angrily, "Who is your leader here? We want him to be an example; Kabale is a no-fly zone for multiparty politicians." There were about 70 UYD members and several were injured in the ensuing fracas. Three Norwegian nationals from the Norwegian Labour Youth group, who were attending the function, were also slightly injured. "This is very unfortunate," Michael Mabikke, a senior UYD official and MP for Makindye East, said afterward. "It should not be fellow Ugandans beating us to the extent of shedding blood." Calm was restored after the officer-in-charge of Kabale police station, Ms Winfred Butazi, stormed the inn with heavily armed policemen. The police later questioned the UYD president, Mr Leander Komakech, Mabikke, who is the secretary general, and the group's organising secretary, Mr Godfrey Ntale. The Kabale district police commander, Mr Martin Amoru, said the police were investigating the matter. "We are trying to locate these vigilantes so they can record their statements to allow the investigations start," Amoru said. The officer said that the UYD leaders would also be charged with holding an unlawful assembly. However, shortly after recording a statement at the police station, Mabikke said he was within his rights to hold the meeting. "I don't need a passport to organise a meeting here; Kabale is part of Uganda and I am not a foreigner," he said. "I will always come here and meet our people until democracy is got." Before the meeting was disrupted, Mabikke had urged the participants to fight for democracy. "You must fight hard to have power lie in the hands of the local people than lying in the hands of gunmen as it is in Uganda today," he said. The UYD youth had, by last evening, been released on police bond. Additional reporting by Siraje Lubwama in Kampala |
© 2003 The Monitor Publications
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