A tribal leader in Uganda was arrested on Sunday after clashes between security forces and a separatist militia linked to him the deaths 55 people, including 14 police officers. Ugandan police stormed Charles Wesley Mumbere’s residence and arrested him on charges of inciting violence, AFP reported.
A police spokesperson said Mumbere, who is considered a king in the Rwenzururu region, would have to explain his involvement with the separatist group, which is looking to create a new republic between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The spokesperson said that Mumbere did not comply with police orders to disband the militia, which reportedly acts as his royal guard as well. The tribal leader has now been transported to the capital, Kampala, for questioning, BBC reported.
The violence began after four militants were killed when they attacked a police outpost on Thursday. This was followed by retaliatory attacks by the militia on Saturday, according to another police officer. A spokesperson for the region, which was recognised as a kingdom in 2009, said Mumbere’s followers were not involved in the clashes.
The region was given a degree of local autonomy after a civil war that lasted from 1962 till 1982. However, unrest in the region has continued as locals have felt marginalised by the Ugandan central government. While Mumbere has distanced himself from the cause of a separate republic, authorities have accused his followers of training alongside other militias to attack government installations in the region.
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