AFP, Kampala :
Uganda and Zambia on Friday denied a report that employees of Chinese telecom giant Huawei had helped them spy on political opponents.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this week that Huawei technicians helped the two African governments intercept communications and social media activity of their opponents, while also tracking their movements.
The article also reported that Huawei operated a video and cyber surveillance system in Algeria, which the company denied.
Algeria’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment
In Uganda, WSJ reported that Huawei technicians helped Ugandan authorities use spyware to monitor pop star turned opposition icon Bobi Wine.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, became a lawmaker in 2017 and is preparing to challenge President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda’s 2021 presidential election.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Huawei’s assistance enabled Ugandan authorities to disrupt Wine’s plans for concerts they feared would turn into political rallies.
“It is totally false to claim Huawei helped African governments among them Uganda spy on its political opponents,” Ugandan presidential spokesman Don Wanyama told AFP. “Why spy on Bobi Wine?”
Meanwhile Zambian government spokeswoman Dora Siliya on Twitter slammed the WSJ report, which said Huawei technicians helped authorities spy on opposition bloggers running a news site critical of President Edgar Lungu.
“The WSJ article on government spying on political opponents is malicious, we refute it with the contempt it deserves,” wrote Siliya.
Huawei is the world’s number two smartphone producer and is considered the global leader in fifth-generation or 5G equipment.
Uganda and Zambia on Friday denied a report that employees of Chinese telecom giant Huawei had helped them spy on political opponents.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this week that Huawei technicians helped the two African governments intercept communications and social media activity of their opponents, while also tracking their movements.
The article also reported that Huawei operated a video and cyber surveillance system in Algeria, which the company denied.
Algeria’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment
In Uganda, WSJ reported that Huawei technicians helped Ugandan authorities use spyware to monitor pop star turned opposition icon Bobi Wine.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, became a lawmaker in 2017 and is preparing to challenge President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda’s 2021 presidential election.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Huawei’s assistance enabled Ugandan authorities to disrupt Wine’s plans for concerts they feared would turn into political rallies.
“It is totally false to claim Huawei helped African governments among them Uganda spy on its political opponents,” Ugandan presidential spokesman Don Wanyama told AFP. “Why spy on Bobi Wine?”
Meanwhile Zambian government spokeswoman Dora Siliya on Twitter slammed the WSJ report, which said Huawei technicians helped authorities spy on opposition bloggers running a news site critical of President Edgar Lungu.
“The WSJ article on government spying on political opponents is malicious, we refute it with the contempt it deserves,” wrote Siliya.
Huawei is the world’s number two smartphone producer and is considered the global leader in fifth-generation or 5G equipment.
