Uganda’s army chief accuses U.S. embassy of aiding hiding opposition leader, heightening post-election crisis

An escalating diplomatic dispute in Kampala erupted when the army commander publicly accused officials at the U.S. mission of collaborating with the leading opposition figure who has been concealing himself since a disputed vote. The allegation, made in social posts that were later removed, intensified an already fraught atmosphere days after the presidential contest. The general who advanced the claim coupled it with personal attacks and a vow to capture the opposition leader, language that has alarmed citizens and rights observers because it elevates rhetoric toward punitive action. Security forces mounted a nocturnal operation at the opposition leader’s residence days earlier; the family reports injuries while the military denies wrongdoing, leaving a contested account of force used during the sweep. The opposition figure has been intermittently posting footage from different regions, using his continued visibility to assert that state security is less omnipotent than portrayed. Official tallies place the incumbent well ahead with roughly seventy-one point six percent of ballots while the challenger is credited with about twenty-four point seven percent, figures the challenger rejects. Meanwhile authorities have detained scores of his supporters — officially described in general terms as numbering in the hundreds — and have brought serious charges against at least one party official after violent incidents. The public disputes and the army chief’s accusation that foreign diplomats might be assisting an evading politician create a direct line between domestic repression and the risk of a diplomatic rupture. If relations were to deteriorate, Uganda could face international scrutiny that would affect aid, military cooperation and regional security arrangements. Politically, hardline military posturing undermines the incumbent’s claims to stability by exposing cracks between state coercion and perceived legitimacy. For urban youth who formed much of the challenger’s base, aggressive enforcement and the narrative of an endangered opposition may deepen alienation and drive further unrest. The combination of contested results, visible evasion by the opposition, and public threats from senior security figures raises the probability of renewed protests or sporadic violence. How foreign governments respond — whether by public rebuke, reassessment of bilateral engagement, or targeted measures — will shape whether the immediate crisis remains localized or becomes a broader geopolitical flashpoint.