Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Uganda Ruling Party Forms Rival Group To Counter Food Protests

KAMPALA, Uganda -(Dow Jones)- Supporters of Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement party have formed a new group aimed at countering the opposition-inspired protests against rising food and fuel prices in the country, officials said Wednesday.

The group, known as Coalition for Stable Uganda will counter "false propaganda" by the opposition who are trying to use the global food crisis to " topple President Yoweri Museveni's government" according to Fred Bamwine, the co-ordinator of the group.

Uganda's main opposition leader Kizza Besigye has led Ugandans into the streets over the past week demanding relief from high food and fuel prices. He has been calling on people to "walk the streets" twice a week against the prices. The next round of protests is expected to start Thursday.

"We would like to inform Ugandans that Besigye's walk-to-work riots have nothing to with suffering of Ugandans," Bamwine said in remarks broadcasted on television.

The coalition will counter the protesters to safeguard Uganda's sovereignty and stability, Bamwine said.

Mathias Mpuga, the co-ordinator of the opposition protesters has accused the ruling party of organizing the group to attack unarmed protesters.

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