The United Nations has called on Uganda to lift a nationwide internet blackout ahead of Thursday’s general election, describing the restrictions as “deeply worrying.”
The UN Human Rights Office stressed in a social media post Wednesday that “open access to communication & information is key to free & genuine elections.”
“All Ugandans must be able to take part in shaping their future & the future of their country,” it said.
The blackout began Tuesday evening after the Uganda Communications Commission instructed mobile operators to block public internet access, as the country prepared for its 15 January vote. Internet monitor NetBlocks said the nation is “in the midst of a widespread internet shutdown,” warning the move could reduce transparency and increase the risk of vote fraud.
President Yoweri Museveni, 81, faces a challenge from pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine. Museveni’s government has been accused of cracking down on critics, arresting opposition leaders and disrupting campaign rallies.
The UN also warned last week that Ugandans would vote amid “widespread repression and intimidation against the political opposition, human rights defenders, journalists and those with dissenting views.”
The Uganda Communications Commission defended the shutdown as necessary to curb “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks.”
Amnesty International’s Tigere Chagutah called the blackout “a brazen attack on the right to freedom of expression,” highlighting its disproportionate impact on mobility, livelihoods, and access to information.
During Uganda’s last election campaign in 2021, widespread violence left at least 54 people dead, with authorities also cutting social media and internet access.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said on Saturday that he escaped a raid by police and soldiers on his home, after authorities denied claims that he had been arrested following Uganda’s presidential election, which was won by veteran leader Yoweri Museveni in a landslide, according to the elector
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Several avalanches struck northern Italy on Saturday, killing at least three people, as rescue officials warned the death toll could rise with unstable conditions persisting across the Alps.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Saturday after completing a round of talks with Iran.
Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight on Saturday, marking the second such strike in less than a week, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
Convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions before Congress, while her lawyer said she could clear President Donald Trump of wrongdoing if granted clemency.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has accused Afghanistan’s authorities of fostering conditions “similar to or worse than pre-9/11”, as tensions between the two neighbours intensify amid a surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, saying that “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
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