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Opposition in Uganda under pressure after election
On Monday, 118 members of the opposition party National Unity Platform (NUP) were charged with alleged election offences in Uganda. Among other things, they are accused of unlawful assembly and conspiracy. The charges come amid ongoing tensions following last Thursday’s parliamentary and presidential elections, as well as reports of arrests and deaths during protests in several parts of the country. President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the East African country since 1986 and was declared the winner by the electoral commission on Saturday with 71.6% of the vote, justifies the action against the opposition with the accusation that it wants to overturn the election results through violence. Opposition leader and NUP candidate Bobi Wine (born Robert Kyagulanyi) came in second with 24.6% of the vote. According to official reports, voter turnout was 52%, the lowest since 2006.
Bobi Wine, who rejects the election results as fraudulent, said over the weekend that he had fled for safety reasons and was currently staying at an undisclosed location after security forces searched his home in the capital Kampala. His family is still there and is under house arrest. The police rejected this account and stated that the presence of the security forces was for the protection of the opposition politician. Wine, in turn, shared screenshots on social media of now-deleted posts by army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son and possible successor, in which he called on Wine to turn himself in within 48 hours or be declared an ‘outlaw.’ In another post, Kainerugaba stated that ‘22 NUP terrorists’ had already been killed and made several threats against Wine. Wine emphasised that he had not broken any laws and had merely run against Museveni in the election. At the same time, he stated that although he considered the election to be rigged, he would not take legal action against the results because he did not consider the judiciary to be independent. He also emphasised that he would continue to campaign peacefully for political freedoms.
Election day itself was overshadowed by significant organisational problems (press review CW 3/2026). Numerous polling stations experienced technical failures with biometric voter registration, as well as delayed openings and long waiting times. This was compounded by a nationwide internet shutdown lasting several days. Election observers attribute the mishaps to inadequate preparation, a lack of test runs and the limited use of digital systems as a result of the network shutdown, among other things. They also see the long waiting times and organisational problems as a factor in the low voter turnout. Although the electoral commission extended the opening hours of polling stations by one hour due to the mishaps, many polling stations had already closed at 16:00, as noted by the joint election observation mission of the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), among others. The mission assessed the overall environment on election day as calm, but expressed concern about reports of intimidation, arrests of opposition members and civil society actors, and the suspension of several non-governmental organisations shortly before the election.
Alabali Radovan and Wadephul on a trip to Africa
While the World Economic Forum began in Davos on Monday, attended by around ten high-ranking African representatives, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali Radovan travelled to Africa on official visits. Accompanied by an economic delegation, Wadephul left for Kenya on Tuesday evening – the first stop on his maiden trip to Africa. On Wednesday, he met with his Kenyan counterpart Musalia Mudavadi, among others, and held political talks with President William Ruto. In a statement published on Platform X, Ruto said that the talks had focused on strengthening economic cooperation, expanding investment opportunities and coordinating on regional and global issues.
Discussions focused, among other things, on the continuation of the migration and mobility agreement signed in September 2024, which gives qualified Kenyan professionals access to the German labour market. In this context, Wadephul also visited the training centre of a medium-sized German company in Nairobi, where Kenyan professionals are trained for the German market. Wadephul emphasised that Kenya is one of Germany’s closest partners in the region and an important anchor of stability – among other things as a troop contributor to the African Union mission in Somalia. Another item on the agenda was a visit to the Humanitarian Peace Support School (HPSS) in Nairobi, where Wadephul was received by Defence Minister Soipan Tuya. She praised Germany’s contribution to training in the field of peacekeeping and the training complex for combating improvised explosive devices (C-IED), which has been in operation since April 2025, and underlined the close cooperation between Germany and Kenya in the field of peace and security.
Afterwards, Wadephul travelled on to Ethiopia on Thursday, where he met with the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, in Addis Ababa. Both emphasised that in times of geopolitical crisis, withdrawing from the international order or replacing central institutions is not the solution. Instead, Germany is seeking to expand global partnerships in order to defend the rules-based world order. The talks focused in particular on the war in Sudan, which the United Nations has classified as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis at present. Wadephul also held talks with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and Prime Minister Abyi Ahmed. The main topics of discussion were trade and investment, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, infrastructure and agriculture, as well as Ethiopia’s central role in peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.
At the same time, Minister Reem Alabali Radovan travelled to Sierra Leone on Wednesday. In line with the reform plan and the new priorities of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the main focus of her visit was on the fight against hunger. The programme included a visit to the national school feeding programme, which is supported jointly with the World Food Programme and aims to provide children with healthy meals every day, improve their access to education and strengthen local value creation. Other BMZ-funded projects in Sierra Leone include ‘Skill Up! Unlocking success in Green Skills Development for Youth in Sierra Leone’ – a Welthungerhilfe programme that aims to open up career prospects for young people through sustainable agriculture. During her trip, the Minister met with schoolchildren, representatives of civil society and the business community, and government officials to discuss nutrition, education and health services.
Special report: Severe flooding in south-east Africa
Severe flooding is currently affecting south-east Africa as a result of persistent heavy rainfall. According to United Nations estimates, more than half a million people are affected, particularly in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. At least 100 people have lost their lives since the rains began in December 2025. In Mozambique, the government has declared a nationwide red alert; President Daniel Chapo has cancelled his participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos. The provinces of Gaza, Maputo and Sofala are particularly affected. According to government sources, around 5,000 kilometres of roads have been damaged or destroyed nationwide, agricultural land flooded and livestock destroyed. This is exacerbating concerns about supply shortages. A national state of emergency was also declared in South Africa on Sunday. According to official figures, at least 37 people have died in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The floods are also affecting parts of Kruger National Park. Damage to public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and administrative buildings is currently estimated at around 217 million euros.
In other news
On Sunday, Senegal’s national football team defeated host Morocco 1-0 in extra time in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), securing their second continental title. The match was overshadowed by turmoil. In extra time, a goal that would have put Senegal ahead was disallowed due to a controversial foul, and shortly afterwards Morocco was awarded an equally controversial penalty after the video assistant intervened. Chaotic scenes ensued. While fans in the stands climbed over barriers, some of the Senegalese players left the field in protest. It was only after a lengthy interruption and persuasion from Senegal’s star player Sadio Mané that the Lions de la Téranga returned to the pitch. Morocco’s Brahim Díaz, who was named the tournament’s top scorer, then missed a penalty. In extra time, Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal. Nigeria took third place in the tournament. The Super Eagles prevailed 4-2 against Egypt in a penalty shootout on Saturday.