Uganda’s President Sworn in For 5th Term

Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, was sworn in for his 5th term as president of the country yesterday at a ceremony in Kampala.

However, Museveni’s election as president didn’t come without any controversy.

While he was elected as president for a fifth term back in February, his election was being heavily scrutinized by opposition leaders, saying that the election was corrupt and not free or fair.

However, the Ugandan government went ahead with the inauguration and Museveni was sworn in in front of a large crowd, all cheering for him in Kampala:

“…I, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni swear in the name of the Almighty God that I shall faithfully exercise the functions of the President of the Republic of Uganda…[I shall] uphold, preserve, protect and defend the constitution, and observe the laws of Uganda, and I shall promote the welfare of the people of Uganda, so help me God,” he said as he was sworn in.

There were many international leaders present at the ceremony, including other African leaders from South Africa, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia and many others.

Also present at the ceremony was Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, who is, in many aspects, a wanted man.

He is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity. Under the rules of the ICC, al-Bashir shoud be arrested should he step foot in ICC affiliated countries – of which Uganda is a part.

However, Uganda ignored the rules it seems and did not arrest al-Bashir. South Africa also failed to arrest al-Bashir in 2015 when he entered the country.