<p><strong><em><a href="https://www.okayafrica.com/uganda-elections-social-media-ban/" target="_self">READ: Uganda Enforces Social Media Shutdown as Presidential Elections Draw Closer</a></em></strong></p><p>According to <strong><em>Al Jazeera</em>, </strong>Bobi<strong> </strong>Wine <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/17/bobi-wine-to-legally-contest-uganda-presidential-vote-result" target="_blank">urged his supporters to refrain from taking any violent action</a> following the disheartening election results:<br></p><blockquote><em>"I take this painful but nonetheless inevitable leadership decision of urging you to desist from any form of violence as we prepare to challenge the election outcome and its glaring imperfections through the courts of law for the sake of our long-term victory and for Uganda."</em></blockquote><p>The opposition leader could not be reached for official media correspondence. International pro-democracy monitoring organisation, Vanguard Africa, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/17/bobi-wine-to-legally-contest-uganda-presidential-vote-result" target="_blank">had reportedly been in talks with Bobi Wine</a> before elections but could no longer reach him due to Museveni's sudden social media shutdown.</p><p><strong><em>AfricaNews</em></strong> reports that the African Union (AU) and East African Community (EAC) were the only international monitoring bodies that were <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2021/01/16/uganda-s-president-yoweri-museveni-re-elected-for-sixth-term/" target="_blank">active during Uganda's January 14th elections</a>. Head of the EAC monitoring mission, <strong>Domitien Ndayizeye</strong>, stated that monitoring of the elections was made difficult by the internet and social media shutdown. "The mission was not able to observe transmission of results from the polling," Ndayizeye stated. The EAC reportedly went on to <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2021/01/16/uganda-s-president-yoweri-museveni-re-elected-for-sixth-term/" target="_blank">deny that Bobi Wine had raised concerns of voter election fraud</a>. </p><p><div class="dfp_atf-slot" data-not-loaded="true"></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></p><blockquote><span></span></blockquote><p>The residence of the young opposition leader was more recently <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210117-uganda-s-opposition-leader-bobi-wine-under-house-arrest-after-disputed-vote-party-says" target="_blank">reportedly surrounded by military personnel</a> yet again. Bobi Wine's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKJLEZXBGUW/" target="_blank">official Instagram account also shared</a> that he and his wife had run out of food supplies and were not permitted to pick food from their own garden. </p>
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