Facebook freezes many Ugandan government official accounts to prepare for elections

President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in charge of the administration for five terms and 35 years, will be challenged by Bobi Wine, who has turned from a popular musician to a member of parliament, in the 2021 Uganda presidential election. It turns out that Facebook has frozen multiple government accounts, alleging public opinion manipulation towards it.

Facebook shuts Uganda accounts ahead of vote --France 24

Uganda was an independent country from the United Kingdom in 1962, located on the north side of Lake Victoria at the headwaters of the Nile, and is also known for its dictator Idi Amin 's power in the 1970s. Political turmoil after President Amin was ousted in the war with Tanzania . Milton Obote, the former president of Amin in the coup d'etat, has regained power, but Ugandan commander Tito Okello has also defeated Obote in a coup d'etat. It was the National Resistance Movement led by Vice Admiral Museveni that overthrew the Okero administration.

Lieutenant General Museveni, who caused the fall of the capital Kampala, became the seventh president of Uganda in 1986. Since then, it has reigned over Uganda for 35 years. Although the term of office of the president stipulated in the Constitution is '5 years', '5 terms and 35 years' does not fit the calculation, but this is because the Constitution was created in 1996, and the breakdown is 10 years + 5 terms.・ Because it has been 25 years. Initially, the Constitution had a provision that 'the president is prohibited from three elections', but in 2005, the year before Mr. Museveni reached the third election, the provision was abolished.

Mr. Museveni is sometimes treated as a 'leader of a new era in Africa' because the economy is stable compared to the days of the Amin and Obote administrations and it also helps women advance into society, but long-term dictatorial administration There are many criticisms that it is causing corruption, and 11 people including Mr. Museveni are running for the presidential election in 2021. During the election campaign, popular musician and leader of the most powerful opposition, Bobi Wine, was arrested and there was a clash between supporters and security forces that killed 37 people.

Police clash with demonstrators in Uganda, killing 37 people Protesting arrest of presidential candidate 5 photos International News: AFPBB News
https://www.afpbb.com/articles/-/3317148

According to Kezia Anim-Addo, who is in charge of sub-Saharan Africa on Facebook, this time the freeze was on the accounts of Ugandan government officials engaged in 'organized fraud (CIB)' and network. The content of fraud includes page management using fake accounts and duplicate accounts, comment posting, and sharing posts in groups to make them appear popular.

On this matter, Ugandan government spokesman Don Wanyama, who had frozen his Facebook and Instagram accounts, said, 'By freezing the accounts of ruling party supporters, we believe that we can send puppet leaders to Uganda. Shame on the forces, 'he tweeted harshly.

Shame on the foreign forces that think they can aid and plant a puppet leadership on Uganda by disabling online accounts of @NRMOnline supporters. You can take away your platforms, you won't take away @KagutaMuseveni votes. # IWillVoteM7 #SecuringYourFuture pic.twitter .com / 70wan34jAb

— Don Wanyama (@nyamadon) January 9, 2021

The Uganda Presidential Election will be held on January 14, 2021.