Ugandan Opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been 'sworn in' as president, a day before incumbent Yoweri Museveni's inauguration.
Besigye, who belongs to the Forum for Democratic Change, was arrested several times after the country's disputed February 18 general election.
"Winner of the 2016 election, after swearing in as the new President of Uganda," the party wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
But police arrested the Opposition leader as he addressed a crowd in Kampala after the ceremony. He has been on a campaign of defiance aimed at invalidating what he calls Museveni's "illegal presidency."
Details of the ceremony are yet to emerge but it is said that Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was to preside over it.
Besigye has insisted he won the election with 52 per cent votes, despite the official announcement that declared Museveni winner with 61 per cent votes. Besigye, who got 35 per cent, called the vote rigged.
EU monitors said the election was held in an intimidating atmosphere and that the electoral body lacked independence and transparency. But Ugandan officials said it was free and fair.
Heavy security, Opposition protesters arrested
IG Kale Kayihura said heavy security was necessary in Uganda ahead of Museveni's swearing in. He said the country is expecting "quite a number of heads of state and other dignitaries".
"On such an event, all the national security agencies come together as a joint team to ensure the event is secured against all threats," he said.
Police arrested at least 18 protesters on Thursday, with the Opposition accusing them of using live rounds and detaining close to 100 people demonstrating against Museveni.
Witnesses said teargas was used to disperse protesters in Kampala, where the police said they detained 18 for "disobeying lawful orders" by holding unauthorised demonstrations.
Tensions have festered since Museveni won the election, extending his 30-year rule by another five-year term.
Ingrid Turinawe, of Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) which called the protests, said the number detained was much higher than the police said.
"We're still compiling data but it's in dozens, close to a hundred people," she said.
"The response from the state was very brutal, all the people who tried to match across the country were arrested," she said, adding police fired live ammunition in some areas.
Police spokesman Patrick Onyango denied that, saying officers had used "minimum force".
The Ugandan government has banned local media from covering "live activities" of the FDC party.
Human Rights Watch said the Ugandan government was showing "contempt for free expression rights".
"Media should report fairly and accurately but it cannot be required to agree with the government at all times," said Maria Burnet, a researcher for the New York-based rights group.
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