Social media site Twitter has removed at 418 accounts affiliated to Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni over alleged involvement in propaganda for the head of state and his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“We removed a network of 418 accounts engaged in coordinated inauthentic activity in support of Ugandan presidential incumbent Museveni and his party, National Resistance Movement (NRM),” said Twitter in a statement issued on December 02.
Coordinated inauthentic behavior is aimed at manipulation of public debate, and the act flouts Twitter’s policies on manipulation and spam.
According to Twitter, the suspended accounts believed to be affiliated to NRM and Museveni were among 3,465 accounts pulled down for promoting pro-government propaganda.
Affected countries were: Uganda, Tanzania, Venezuela, China, Russia and Mexico.
The removal of the Twitter accounts comes many months since Facebook suspended a total of 426 accounts — 210 pages, 62 groups and 153 Instagram accounts — believed to be affiliated to Museveni and his NRM.
But like Facebook, Twitter has kept pro-opposition propaganda and fake news vending accounts.
It was not readily clear how President Museveni would respond to Twitter’s action.
Since Facebook deleted the pro-government accounts months ago, the social media site has remained shut in Uganda.
