Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- [King Oyo wanted to consult with Colonel Gaddafi over the setting up of a forum for African cultural leaders. What a great idea! Every African intellectual knows that the colonisation of the African mind was easily the worst and longest lasting effect of the colonial conquest. Even now, cultural imperialism continues, with the objective of controlling Africans' ideological inclinations and consumption patterns. If it takes Gaddafi's petrodollars to kick-start the restoration of cultural pride in Africa, so be it.] Pride And Petrodollars: Gaddafi to the Rescue! The East African (Nairobi) ANALYSIS July 23, 2001 Posted to the web July 27, 2001 Joachim Buwembo Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is becoming a frequent visitor to Uganda. His latest visit last week was at the invitation of King Oyo Nyimba of Toro, to reciprocate a visit the child king made to Libya a month ago. Gaddafi 's visits are becoming less fussy and Ugandans are getting more used to them. The Libyan leader's links with Uganda are three decades old. When Idi Amin grabbed power in 1971, the Israelis were his closest foreign allies. They had helped overthrow the government, and were training Ugandan troops, especially the air force and VIP protection personnel. But they made the mistake of hesitating to arm Amin when he wanted to sort out a few disagreements with Tanzania. Barely a year later, returning from a disappointing visit to Tel Aviv, Amin landed in Tripoli in search of a new friend. Things seem to have worked out and on returning to Kampala, Amin gave the Israelis their marching orders. The friendship with Tripoli grew and aid flowed. Not being deeply ideological, Amin picked on religion to cement ties with Libya. The cunning Amin deceived Gaddafi into thinking that Uganda had completely converted to Islam. During a 1974 visit, Gaddafi was speaking at Makerere University and poked fun at Christian missionaries. To his consternation, he found himself being booed instead of receiving applause. But the friendship with Amin continued until the 1979 war, when Tanzanian troops and Ugandan exiles overran the country, sending Amin fleeing and killing hundreds of Libyan soldiers. A then youthful Yoweri Museveni was a leading figure in the anti-Amin war and immediately became Minister of Defence when Kampala fell. For seven years after that, Kampala and Tripoli were not best buddies. Instead, Gaddafi was helping Ugandan rebels fighting to dislodge the Milton Obote regime. Eventually, they succeeded and the Tripoli-Kampala love affair resumed. Shortly after Museveni took power, a rumour hit Kampala that he had converted to Islam. There is no smoke without fire. Ten years later, Museveni revealed that Gaddafi had tried to persuade him to become a Muslim, but without success. To his credit, Gaddafi has learnt to respect other Africans in all their divergent religious, cultural and political colours. His visits to Uganda are no longer characterised by his soldiers taking over security at Entebbe airport and other places he visits. Of late, Gaddafi has developed a deep fascination for the kingdom of Toro. Remember the little boy who a few years ago kept the revered Nelson Mandela waiting because the kid was still playing in some corner of the venue of a big public event? That is the same King Oyo whose fate is to deal with world leaders at a tender age. Recently, he appointed Colonel Gaddafi as one of his advisors, an appointment the Libyan leader took up willingly. Oyo then called his advisor to Toro for consultations, and the advisor jetted into Entebbe last Saturday, driving straight to Toro without even stopping at Kampala. King Oyo wanted to consult with Colonel Gaddafi over the setting up of a forum for African cultural leaders. What a great idea! Every African intellectual knows that the colonisation of the African mind was easily the worst and longest lasting effect of the colonial conquest. Even now, cultural imperialism continues, with the objective of controlling Africans' ideological inclinations and consumption patterns. If it takes Gaddafi's petrodollars to kick-start the restoration of cultural pride in Africa, so be it. Still, the Kampala rumour mill continues to speculate on Gaddafi's interest in Uganda. One wild rumour has it that he wants to prevent the drilling of oil around Lake Albert because, if it is drilled, Libya's reserves will simply flow southwards. This unscientific theory ignores the fact that East Africa is higher than North Africa, which is why the Nile flows northwards. The rumourmongers also forget that Uganda has fascinated great leaders from the time of the Roman emperors, who wanted to find the source of the Nile, down to Mahatma Gandhi, whose ashes were brought to the source of the river at Jinja, and Winston Churchill, who summarised his African travels in three words: Concentrate on Uganda. But let's not judge Ugandans harshly: They are too used to their country to expect anybody else to find it beautiful. ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
