On this day in 2001, Dr Kizza Besigye disappeared from his residence in Kampala, weeks after mounting his first major challenge to President Museveni in the March presidential election.

Besigye had finished second to Museveni in the election, which was upheld by the Supreme Court despite the court identifying several electoral irregularities.

In the months that followed, Besigye faced increased surveillance and restrictions on his movements. Security forces had earlier intercepted him at Lukaya while he was travelling to southwestern Uganda.

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On the evening of Friday, August 17, Besigye vanished without warning. His wife, Winnie Byanyima, reported him missing, prompting widespread speculation that he had been detained or abducted by state security agencies.

Ten days later, on August 28, Besigye resurfaced through an interview with Voice of America. He revealed that he had evaded state intelligence, left Uganda and travelled to the United States before eventually settling in South Africa.

Besigye said he had fled because of serious threats to his safety and fears of legal persecution by the government. Authorities had sought to link him to rebel groups and a series of unexplained bomb blasts in Kampala, allegations he rejected as attempts to create grounds for his arrest and court-martial.

His absence from Uganda lasted four years. During his exile, his political supporters established the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), which later became a major opposition force.

Besigye returned to Uganda in October 2005 and went on to challenge Museveni again in the 2006 presidential election.