<p>Uganda police used tear gas and live rounds to break up a gathering of opposition supporters in the southwestern town of Rukungiri on Monday reports Reuters.</p>
<p>Patrick Onyango, a spokesman for the police, reported that they had arrested 15 people from the Forum For Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda’s largest opposition party, for allegedly staging an illegal meeting.</p>
<p>He further stated: “we used force that was necessary to match the level of resistance from the offenders”.</p>
<p>Ronald Muhinda, an aide to opposition leader Kizza Besigye, released footage on Facebook during which he stated that the FDC supporters were prohibited from attending a fundraising meeting and thanksgiving event. The police further blocked Besigye at his home.</p>
<p>Reuters notes that Uganda's public order laws enabled the police the power to ban public gathers for a variety of reasons which critics note is used to shut down opposition to President Yoweri Museveni. President Museveni has been in power since 1986 making one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders and it is expected he will seek re-election in 2021 during the next general election.</p>
<p>Museveni would not have been able to reelection in 2021 were it not for the removal of the age cap from the constitution last year.</p>
<p>See more from Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-violence/opposition-say-ugand…">here</a>.</p>
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