My occasional internet addiction finally proves useful as I follow the news in Uganda, where Museveni’s biggest challenger in the February elections is now an even more formidable opponent — a man around whom varieties of Uganda’s popular discontent can coalesce and lead to movement.
Literally.
Walking has become a kind of protest in Uganda, and in tandem, a kind of crime. There’s useful background (worthy of one your monthly (and my last!) free clicks) in the New York Times article about Kizze Besigye’s arrest today. Kudos to the Times’ Josh Kron for rapid from-the-scene reporting, over several days — and at a time when the other major news outlets I follow are still filing from Nairobi or beyond, or leaning on wire reports. As the situation gets more tense, more complicated, and, alas, more tragic — reportedly the first death was in Kampala today — we need that kind of reporting from the ground.
So I’m also reading the local Daily Monitor, which paints a picture of country-wide protests over rising food and fuel prices. The Monitor reports deaths in the northern region of Gulu, a road blockade by taxi and motorcycle drivers, along with ordinary Joes, of the highway between Jinja and Kenya, and new military deployments in ten districts.
The Daily Monitor puts the death toll at four, three earlier in Gulu and one today in Kampala, the capital’s first death since the April 11 walking began.
There’s also been an internet outage, media blackouts (which @oletan says the government called “a miscommunication” — beautiful) and other feisty governmental interference in free speech.
Protestors have promised more walking on Thursday. To keep up with the latest, I recommend following the Twitter hashtag #walk2work and checking the Daily Monitor regularly. They seem to have a team fanned out across the country (and a furious and terrific rewriter in their newsroom). I’m also following Ugandan journalists Rosebell Kagumire (@rosebellk) and Allan Brian Ssenyonga (@ssojo81). Rosie is there and always working hard. Allan is not in Uganda, but his analysis is always impeccable.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on Burkina Faso, where the same pressures are inspiring similar protests. Chris Vourlias is there these days and always worth a follow (@postcardjunky).
