President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to bring justice to victims of the protests that have left several people dead and dozens injured, the presidency said in a statement.
"These are innocent victims of these demonstrations. There was no need for such violence at all. The president sends his sympathies and condolences to all those affected," a presidential spokeswoman quoted Col. Proscovia Nalweyiso, the senior presidential advisor on defense affairs, as saying during a visit to the victims of the crackdown. "He has pledged to bring perpetuators of such violence to book and let the law deal with them severely"
Ugandan security forces clashed with protesters several times in the past two weeks. According to the Uganda Red Cross Society, at least five people were killed and scores injured during the crackdowns.
The United Nations and several rights groups have condemned security forces for using excessive force in crackdowns against unarmed demonstrators.
The Ugandan opposition has been rallying people to "walk from their residences to their work places" twice every week to compel the government to address runaway food and fuel prices.
The government blames the food shortage on drought and high fuel prices on turmoil in North Africa and Middle East, where Uganda sources its fuel imports.
Last week, authorities arrested veteran opposition leader, Kizza Besigye during the protests and bundled him on a police van, he was charged with holding an illegal assembly and remanded in a prison after being denied bail.
Several other opposition party leaders, including two former presidential candidates, have been arrested for participating in the protests.
-By Nicholas Bariyo, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; 256-75-2624615 bariyonic@yahoo.co.uk
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