Sawt Falasteen - Uganda govt offers to drop military trial of hunger-striking opponent

The pledge was promptly rejected as "suspicious" by Besigye's wife, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima.

Besigye, a former ally turned rival of longtime President Yoweri Museveni, went on hunger strike on February 10 in protest at his detention.

Charging him with treason for allegedly threatening national security, the government has vowed to try him in a military court, despite a Supreme Court ruling that such a move against a civilian is unconstitutional.

Now, however, "the government is fast-tracking the transfer of Besigye's case from the court martial to the civil court", cabinet spokesman and information minister Chris Baryomunsi told AFP.

"As a government, we are complying with the ruling of the Supreme Court,"

The minister said in an earlier message on X that he had visited Besigye in prison on Sunday "in the presence of his personal doctors" and "asked him to resume taking food" pending the transfer.

The army, which has not yet commented on the announcement, had previously dismissed the Supreme Court ruling and insisted the military trial would go ahead.

Besigye appeared in court for a hearing in a separate case on Friday looking frail, prompting outrage from his supporters.

Baryomunsi declined to say whether Sunday's pledge was prompted by the outcry.

Byanyima told AFP on Sunday that she was "very worried" about her husband's condition.

She posted on X that she and Besigye's family rejected Baryomunsi's move on Sunday as "highly suspicious".

As a government minister, "you are not a concerned visitor -- you are his captor", she said.

"We will hold you and your government fully accountable for any harm that comes to him."

The UN and several rights organisations have voiced concern about the suppression of the political opposition in Uganda in the run-up to the 2026 presidential elections.

Rights group Amnesty International branded Besigye's case a "travesty of justice".

L.Hussein--SF-PST