The Ugandan government has admitted to having held more than 1,000 people who were arrested in the run-up to January’s elections.

The internal affairs minister told parliament most were still in detention.

The government has been under pressure to respond after the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party said more than 400 of its supporters and members were missing after being seized in raids by the security forces.

Following a report in March about 18 young men who had been taken from a village in Kyotera, south-west of the capital, Kampala, all of them were released without charge, dumped near their village in the dead of night.

Dozens more have been released in a similar manner, some saying they had been tortured during their detention.

Earlier this week, UN Human Rights experts called on the Ugandan authorities to stop suppressing their political opponents.

The government’s latest response leaves many unanswered questions about the number of people being held, on what grounds and where.

Singer-turned-NUP politician Bobi Wine was the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, who went on to win a sixth term in January.