France, Jan. 8 -- The campaign for this month's general elections began calmly enough, according toKristof Titeca, an expert on governance in Uganda at the Institute of Development Policy at the University of Antwerp.

"But as soon as Bobi Wine and his political party, the NUP, really started campaigning, the repression escalated," he told RFI.

The NUP has complained of arbitrary arrests at its rallies, saying that some 400 of its supporters have been detained. While analysts put the figure lower, closer to 200, it is evident that there has been "a real attempt to prevent Bobi Wine and the NUP from campaigning, from organising rallies",Titecasaid.

"The repression remains very clear." Tear gas, torture

The United Nations and other organ...