{"id":38998,"date":"2024-12-01T23:12:30","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T04:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/how-a-ugandan-opposition-leader-disappeared-in-kenya-and-ended-up-in-military-court\/01\/12\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-12-01T23:12:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T04:12:30","slug":"how-a-ugandan-opposition-leader-disappeared-in-kenya-and-ended-up-in-military-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/how-a-ugandan-opposition-leader-disappeared-in-kenya-and-ended-up-in-military-court\/01\/12\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Ugandan opposition leader disappeared in Kenya and ended up in military court"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The mysterious detention of Uganda&#8217;s opposition leader Kizza Besigye while on a visit to Kenya nearly two weeks ago has sparked widespread condemnation and fears of a clandestine exchange of intelligence between the two neighbours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye&#8217;s allies and wife have come out to reveal harrowing details of how the opposition chief was apparently lured to meet his abductors, said to have disguised themselves as Kenyan security agents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Reports say he was spied on from the time he boarded a plane at Entebbe airport in Uganda for Kenya&#8217;s capital, Nairobi, where he was picked up, before somehow being transferred to a military court back home without any extradition proceedings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">While Kenya insists it played no role and is investigating the incident, Uganda holds that Kenya was fully aware of the plan, citing intelligence correspondence aimed at tracking Besigye down.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">As he is due to return to military court in Kampala, we piece together what we know so far.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Who is Kizza Besigye?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye has contested and lost four presidential elections against President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He has been less active in politics recently, and did not contest the 2021 election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">But earlier this year, he formed a new party, the People&#8217;s Front for Freedom (PFF) after breaking away from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), which he founded two decades ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The opposition politician has for years travelled to Kenya and moved freely, sometimes to attend high-profile events &#8211; even while he remained Museveni&#8217;s main challenger and biggest critic.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">What led up to Besigye&#8217;s disappearance?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">This time, Besigye travelled to Nairobi to attend the launch of a book by Kenyan opposition politician Martha Karua.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The 68-year-old landed in the city on the morning of 16 November and took a taxi to his hotel in the affluent suburb of Hurlingham. He was accompanied by long-term ally Hajj Obeid Lutale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">A few hours later, he left the hotel, boarded a taxi and headed to Riverside Drive, some 5km (three miles) from his hotel, for a private meeting, according to his political allies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">This was the last time he was seen until he re-emerged in Uganda four days later.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Besigye (R), seen here in court in 2005, has been on trial many times in Uganda [AFP]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">His taxi driver said he waited for the veteran politician for more than 12 hours, before deciding to leave when he was unable to phone him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye\u2019s team in Uganda started relaying distress calls after their leader&#8217;s mobile phones went unanswered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">His disappearance hit the headlines and raised eyebrows in the region, with his wife Winnie Byanyima, the head of the UN&#8217;s organisation to tackle HIV and Aids, taking to social media to report that her husband had been &#8220;kidnapped&#8221; in Nairobi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The next day, his reserved seat at the book launch, where he was expected to be the guest speaker, remained empty with organisers raising the alarm about his absence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">How was Besigye picked up?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye and his friend Lutale arrived at the apartment along Riverside Drive where he was due to meet an unidentified Ugandan national and another unknown British national, according to Ms Byanyima.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The British national supposedly wanted to introduce Besigye to a group of colleagues and businessmen, who had expressed an interest in financially backing the PFF, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">In the room there was a box of what appeared to be a stash of money. One of the hosts had two guns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Shortly after a brief introduction, eight men in plain clothes who said they were Kenyan police officers knocked on the door and told Besigye and his associate they were under arrest, Ms Byanyima told Kenya\u2019s Citizen TV.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The opposition chief tried to explain he had nothing to do with the items in the room, but the security agents did not listen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Four of the men bundled Besigye and Lutale into a car with Kenyan number plates and drove them under the cover of night towards the border with Uganda.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">&#8220;It was clearly an operation well planned,&#8221; Ms Byanyima added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A general view of the Kenyan side of the Malaba border post. A security booth can be seen under an arch, which has a banner that says &quot;Malaba One Stop Border Post&quot;.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/KwQ_QNrKBffoHXHSXuoD_Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/13ab699c8152fd89bf9a02a5ee4c1989\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Besigye was said to have been driven to the Malaba border post in western Kenya, before crossing to Uganda [AFP]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Before crossing over to Uganda, the four men switched from speaking Swahili and started talking in the Ugandan languages, Luganda and Runyankole.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The two held captive were ferried to Uganda without their belongings, including their passports, which were later picked up by Besigye&#8217;s party officials from the Nairobi hotel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">PFF spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda told Uganda&#8217;s Monitor newspaper that Besigye and his friend went through the Malaba border post without stopping for routine security checks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">&#8220;They only changed vehicles. The four-wheel drive vehicle with the Kenyan number plate was left at the Malaba border post and moved to another vehicle with [a] Ugandan number plate,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Why was Besigye picked up in Nairobi and was he set up?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Uganda&#8217;s Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi said detectives had gathered enough intelligence to arrest Besigye while in Nairobi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said the Kenyan authorities had enabled the cross-border operation, even though officials in Nairobi insist they knew nothing about it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye is now being tried in Kampala and not Nairobi because the crime that was planned was &#8220;against Uganda and not Kenya&#8221;, Ugandan army spokesman Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/play\/p0k7dc0k?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:told the BBC's Africa Daily podcast;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">told the BBC&#8217;s Africa Daily podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">&#8220;We have a legal framework with our counterparts in Kenya to deal with matters that threaten regional security,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">However, he did not explain why there was no extradition process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Reports indicate that Besigye&#8217;s arrest had been planned for months and was executed with the help of some people who were close to him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Organisers of the meeting are said to be a British national and a senior official of the Ugandan army, both of whom were well known to Besigye, Ugandan media reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">His wife alleged the British national who was in the meeting was a &#8220;paid operative who tried to plant guns&#8221; on Besigye.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Why is Besigye facing a military court?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Over the decades, hundreds of civilians have been tried in Uganda&#8217;s military courts, even though the Constitutional Court has ruled against the practice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye, who is no stranger to appearing in military courts, is back there because he subjected himself to military law, Brig Kulayigye told the BBC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Last week, he and his co-accused were arraigned at the Makindye military court after being held incommunicado for four days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">They are facing four charges which include being found with two pistols and ammunition, and seeking to buy weapons from foreigners in the Swiss city of Geneva, the Greek capital, Athens, and Nairobi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The two denied all charges.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A smiling Kizza Besigye in a blue suit emerges from court accompanied by a man in fatigues and a red beret, wearing a face mask. Supporters are around him waving their fingers in a peace sign. \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Ok3jR.lHrYs38RMqDP8anQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/14ba7e3d3a8b3ae1f935ac0638d40e9f\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Besigye was greeted by supporters after appearing in court on 20 November [AFP]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye objected to being tried by a court martial, saying that if there were any charges against him, he should be tried in a civilian court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">His lawyers also argued that the alleged offences were committed outside Uganda and therefore they were arraigned in the court martial illegally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">But the court overruled the lawyers and allowed the hearing to continue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The accused were remanded at Luzira maximum prison until 2 December.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer and a human rights activist, told the BBC that Kenya should have arrested Besigye and extradited him to Uganda following the laws that govern the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Ms Byanyima said she did not expect her husband to get justice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">But Brig Kulayigye said the court martial &#8220;is not a kangaroo court&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">&#8220;Justice will be served.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Has the matter affected relations between Kenya and Uganda?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Kenyan authorities have swung between denying any knowledge of the operation and remaining silent, while Ugandan officials say that a lot of intelligence was shared between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">&#8220;The government of Uganda was in touch with the government of Kenya. Otherwise, how would you arrest somebody in the middle of Nairobi and then bring him back to Uganda, whether through the airport or land, without the full knowledge and support of the state there in Kenya?&#8221; Information Minister Baryomunsi told Uganda\u2019s NBS TV.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Many Kenyans are asking about the nature of security ties between the two countries and if there was a full disclosure that Besigye would be charged in a military court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Last Tuesday, Kenya&#8217;s acting Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi refrained from giving clear answers to journalists, pleading that his country should not be judged &#8220;too harshly&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Mudavadi, who is also the acting interior minister, said Kenya was an open country, which allowed &#8220;a lot of latitude&#8221;. But he warned foreigners against causing a rift between Kenya and their home countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said Besigye&#8217;s matter would be resolved diplomatically, describing Uganda as Kenya&#8217;s &#8220;strong partner&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The acknowledgement by Uganda that Kenya was involved in the abduction has left the Kenyan government facing a backlash both in Uganda and back home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Some Ugandans have held protests outside the Kenyan embassy in Kampala while others have threatened to boycott Kenyan brands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Besigye\u2019s detention follows a string of high-profile abductions and disappearances in Kenya, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cvgwg5n0y0lo?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:forced deportation of four Turkish refugees to Ankara;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">forced deportation of four Turkish refugees to Ankara<\/a>, where they faced allegations of conspiring against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><em>Additional reporting by Alan Kasujja<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">You may also be interested in:<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"295\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/R53CmdtQyYsC7RR0ZwFhBA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTI5NQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/e70f5e2d3e91b5ce9a04201c81e1134b\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>[Getty Images\/BBC]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><em>Go to <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/bbcafrica.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBCAfrica.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>BBCAfrica.com<\/em><\/a><em> for more news from the African continent.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><em>Follow us on Twitter <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BBCAfrica\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:@BBCAfrica;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>@BBCAfrica<\/em><\/a><em>, 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