250 civilians arrested in Uganda antiguerrilla move

Ugandan security forces arrested about 250 civilians, including an opposition member of parliament, in an apparent crackdown on antigovernment guerrilla activity, diplomats in Kampala said.

They said several hundred police and soldiers rounded up about 2,000 people in western Kampala to check their tax receipts and later looted homes left vacant during the exercise.

The diplomats said the thinking behind the move appeared to be that members of the three guerrilla groups trying to overthrow President Milton Obote would not have paid taxes.