Uganda police officer suspended after 'assault'

KAMPALA (AFP) - Uganda has suspended a police officer accused of alleged sexual assault of a female opposition activist, an act that prompted other women to bare their bras in protest, an official said Tuesday.

On Monday, a group of women activists marched semi-naked on Kampala streets to protest police treatment of a female opposition leader last week, which reportedly included the squeezing of her breast.

"One officer has been suspended pending further investigation," James Baba, the minister of state for internal affairs, said in a statement.

"The incident occurred during the arrest of a female who was suspected of committing a number of traffic violations and who failed to comply with the lawful instruction of a police officer. It is alleged that this lady suffered an assault as she resisted arrest," the statement added.

The statement did not say whether the police officer was male or female.

The incident sparked a wave of public condemnation. Around a dozen female activists, several of whom had removed their shirts in protest, marched to Kampala's main police station Monday waving placards, with one reading: "How would you feel if we squeezed your balls?"