MOSCOW: Belarus, a Moscow ally that shares a border with Ukraine, launched “surprise” military maneuvers on Wednesday, to test the reactive capacity of its army, its defense ministry said.
Belarus military units were testing their capacity to “go on the alert, move to predetermined zones and undertake combat training,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The aim is to evaluate the readiness and ability of troops to react rapidly to a possible crisis,” it continued, describing the maneuvers as a “surprise” exercise.
It published photos of columns of vehicles, including tanks, moving along roads.
The exercise will be closely watched by Kyiv, which has repeatedly accused Belarus of planning to send troops into Ukraine to help Russia’s military operation against its pro-Western neighbor.
Belarus has been ruled with an iron fist by strongman Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for nearly 30 years. The country serves as an air and logistics base for Moscow.
Nevertheless, not all Belarusians are in favor of participation, however indirect, in the current conflict and there have been acts of sabotage in recent months and several suspects have been arrested.
In 2020, Belarus was rocked by protests over the allegedly fraudulent re-election of Lukashenko, who ordered a ferocious crackdown on the dissent.
Belarus launches ‘surprise’ military maneuvers
https://arab.news/rjms5
Belarus launches ‘surprise’ military maneuvers
- Exercise closely watched by Kyiv, which has repeatedly accused Belarus of planning to send troops into Ukraine
Uganda to shut down Internet ahead of Thursday election: communication authority
- There was no statement from the government on the shutdown
- The officials said the authorities did not want to “own” the decision
KAMPALA: Uganda ordered an Internet blackout on Tuesday, two days ahead of elections in which President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his 40-year rule.
“This measure is necessary to mitigate the rapid spread of online misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks, as well as preventing of incitement to violence that could affect public confidence and national security during the election period,” the Uganda Communications Commission said in a letter to Internet providers, verified by government officials to AFP.
There was no statement from the government on the shutdown. The officials said the authorities did not want to “own” the decision.
Uganda shut down the Internet during the last election in 2021 — a vote that was marred by widespread allegations of rigging and state violence against the opposition, led by singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, who is running again for the presidency.
The government repeatedly promised that the Internet would not be shut down during the election, stating in a post on X on January 5 that “claims suggesting otherwise are false, misleading, and intended to cause unnecessary fear and tension among the public.”
The suspension was due to take effect at 6:00 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) and remain in force “until a restoration notice is issued,” the UCC said.
Essential state services were to be exempted from the ban, it added.
