[Ugnet] LRA rebels attack camp in northern Uganda: officials
Home:Europe/World LRA rebels attack camp in northern Uganda: officials Published: Sunday, 26 June, 2005, 12:54 PM Doha Time KAMPALA: More than 100 rebels from Lords Resistance Army (LRA) attacked a displaced peoples camp in northern Uganda yesterday and looted foodstuffs, but the number of casualties was not clear, the army and aid workers said.Army spokesman Lieutenant Kiconco Tabaro said that the insurgents wounded an unknown number of people and stole food from Agoro camp in Kitgum district, about 450km north of Kampala.The rebels injured some people and looted some food from a primary school (inside the camp)... I dont know how much food was taken, he said.The army could give not the exact number of attacking rebels, but relief workers said they were more than 100 and people might have died during the morning raid.It was a major attack involving about 100 rebels who crossed the border, but I dont know about the number of the dead, an aid worker told AFP in the region, who requested to remain unnamed for security reasons.They said that the food what was looted was earmarked for schools in the war-ravaged region.Tabaro said initial information indicated that three people were wounded in the attack by the LRA rebels, who have been fighting the government of President Yoweri Museveni for nearly two decades.Our forces are tracking them, the spokesman added.The LRA took over the leadership of northern Ugandas rebellion some 18 years ago, in 1988, two years into a conflict fuelled by the perceived economic marginalisation of the region by Kampala.The group distinguishes itself by its brutality and its total absence of a public political face, a characteristic that makes negotiating an end to the war all but impossible.The LRA has said that it wants to overthrow President Yoweri Musevenis government and replace it with a regime based on the Bibles Ten Commandments.A raft of local and international efforts to broker a peace deal have fail ed, and a surge in the conflict so far has forced at least 1.6mn people from their villagers into crowded and unhealthy camps.Despite repeated claims by Museveni that his government is close to wiping out the rebellion, insurgents have frequently resurfaced with deadly attacks on civilian populations in the scarred region. AFP Gulf Times Newspaper, 2005 Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Uganda agrees transit routes for UN troops deployment in Sudan..from Angop NEWS Agency
Uganda agrees transit routes for UN troops deployment in Sudan Kampala, Uganda,06/26 - Kampala has agreed to open transit routes to enable the deployment of over 10,000 United Nations peacekeepers in the Uganda army operational zone in southern Sudan, defence minister Amama Mbabazi announced here Friday.The agreement follows a meeting between UN secretary-general Kofi Annan`s special representative in Sudan, Jan Pronk, and officials of Uganda`s defence and foreign ministries in Kampala over the contentious issue."Pronk came with a delegation to discuss deployment of UN peacekeepers in areas that our troops are occupying since being allowed by our Khartoum (Sudan) counterpart to operate there in pursuit of rebels fighting us," Mbabazi said.Kampala and Khartoum signed a protocol three-years ago allowing the Ugandan army to extend its offensive code named `Operation Iron Fist` against rebels of the Lord`s Resistance Army (LRA) in the rebel`s southern Sudan rear bases."The UN requested Uganda to avail facilities to transport the peacekeepers and their equipment, and we are happy to help because peace is coming to Sudan, which is good for our own peace, especially in northern Uganda," Mababazi explained. He said Pronk`s delegation and Ugandan officials agreed to coordinate their operations and have mapped out possible routes that UN troops will be using, upon landing at Entebbe Airport.The massive UN deployment follows a unanimous vote by UN Security Council to send 10,000 troops and over 700 civilian police to southern Sudan for an initial period of six months to support the peace agreement between Khartoum and the ex-rebel SPLM/A, which ended more than two decades of civil war. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
Re: [Ugnet] LRA rebels attack camp in northern Uganda: officials
And where was the UPDF while the "rebels" ( all 100 of them) were traveling all the way from southern Sudan to Not Northern Uganda... Mugega Affa Alabba!! MatekMatek Opoko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Home:Europe/World LRA rebels attack camp in northern Uganda: officials Published: Sunday, 26 June, 2005, 12:54 PM Doha Time KAMPALA: More than 100 rebels from Lords Resistance Army (LRA) attacked a displaced peoples camp in northern Uganda yesterday and looted foodstuffs, but the number of casualties was not clear, the army and aid workers said.Army spokesman Lieutenant Kiconco Tabaro said that the insurgents wounded an unknown number of people and stole food from Agoro camp in Kitgum district, about 450km north of Kampala.The rebels injured some people and looted some food from a primary school (inside the camp)... I dont know how much food was taken, he said.The army could give not the exact number of attacking rebels, but relief workers said they were more than 100 and people might have died during the morning raid.It was a major attack involving about 100 rebels who crossed the border, but I dont know about the number of the dead, an aid worker told AFP in the region, who requested to remain unnamed for security reasons.They said that the food what was looted was earmarked for schools in the war-ravaged region.Tabaro said initial information indicated that three people were wounded in the attack by the LRA rebels, who have been fighting the government of President Yoweri Museveni for nearly two decades.Our forces are tracking them, the spokesman added.The LRA took over the leadership of northern Ugandas rebellion some 18 years ago, in 1988, two years into a conflict fuelled by the perceived economic marginalisation of the region by Kampala.The group distinguishes itself by its brutality and its total absence of a public political face, a characteristic that makes negotiating an end to the war all but impossible.The LRA has said that it wants to overthrow President Yoweri Musevenis government and replace it with a regime based on the Bibles Ten Commandments.A raft of local and international efforts to broker a peace deal have fail ed, and a surge in the conflict so far has forced at least 1.6mn people from their villagers into crowded and unhealthy camps.Despite repeated claims by Museveni that his government is close to wiping out the rebellion, insurgents have frequently resurfaced with deadly attacks on civilian populations in the scarred region. AFP Gulf Times Newspaper, 2005 Yahoo! MailStay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour___Ugandanet mailing listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Sezibera Warns On Regional Peace
Sezibera Warns On Regional Peace Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The New Times (Kigali) June 24, 2005 Posted to the web June 24, 2005 Daniel SabiitiKigali The Ex-FAR (Interahamwe) rebels are still a danger to the peace process in the region, according to Richard Sezibera, the presidential special envoy on the Great Lakes Region. In an interview with The New Times, Sezibera pointed out the problem of Interahamwe in Congo as the worst impediment to the peace process, while admitting that there had been tremendous achievements in restoring peace in the region. He was addressing a two day conference of the National Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on the Great Lakes. "We have had consultative meetings with various leaders in the region and the most outstanding issue that has been raised is the problem of the rebel group (Interahamwe) in Congo who have continued to rape women, steal property and destroy the economy of Congo and Burundi," Sezibera pointed out. The rebels were also linked to several attacks in the region, including the killing of US tourists in neighbouring Uganda's Bwindi forest, and the recent killing of Banyaburenge refugees in Burundi. Without specifying how this will be done, Sezibera disclosed that deliberations in the Dar -es -Salaam Declaration promised to seek immediate solutions to the persistent problem. According to the proclamation, the rebels have to withdraw in the near future, but this has to be discussed soon in the regional leaders' conference that will take place next month in Lusaka, Zambia. While addressing religious leaders, Sezibera pointed out the value of religious leadership in spearheading the peace process in the region. He said clerics have to implement the outcomes of the Dar- es- Salaam declaration, which involves fighting the genocide ideology, seeking democracy and development in the region. Relevant Links Central Africa Burundi Arms and Military Affairs Civil War and Communal Conflict Congo-Kinshasa Rwanda Conflict, Peace and Security "Evil should not overwhelm the good that exists in the region. Religious leaders have to explicitly discuss how to achieve peace among their flocks. This may be challenging but with the will of God, these winds will not stop this noble cause," he implored. He later asserted that Rwanda was fully committed to achieving the goals set by the Dar-es-Salaam declaration.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Crisis in the Congo
Crisis in the Congo United States Congress (Washington, DC) DOCUMENTJune 10, 2005 Posted to the web June 22, 2005 Made Available by the Offices of Sen Mike DeWine (R - OH)Washington, DC We write to express our deep concern about the forgotten crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It now appears certain that the elections scheduled for June will be postponed until October of this year. We urge you to work together with Congress to address the humanitarian crisis in the DRC and improve security so that elections may take place without further delay. We ask that you share with us your perception of the situation and the steps needed to create conditions for peace and security and your strategy for advancing that process in the Great Lakes region and the DRC more specifically. Often referred to as Africa's 'World War,' the five-year civil war in the DRC ravaged central Africa, involving seven countries and a host of other internal insurgents. Although hostilities officially ended in 2003, the violence continues. In the past six years, 3.8 million people have died in the DRC due to the conflict and resulting disintegration of the social service infrastructure, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II. According to the United Nations Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and corroborated by a recent mortality study done in December by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), 31,000 people die each month in Congo - or 1,000 people per day - largely from preventable diseases and malnutrition. The DRC is a graphic example of the larger social, economic, and human costs of conflict. Fighting in the eastern region, and particularly in the area of North Kivu and Ituri, has resulted in massive displacement of civilians, 150,000 in North Kivu alone, and displacement is the great killer in this tragedy. In addition, armed gropus continually use rape as a weapon of war, and the stigma associated with rape in the DRC, combined with the absence of a health care network, leave victims little recourse. As in many other wars on the continent, the bulk of the victims are women and children. Although the DRC remains at the top of any list of underreported crises in the world, the individual stories are heartbreaking and the larger social consequences devastating. The recently revealed sex scandals involving the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monuc) only added to the DRC's suffering. Such behavior among peacekeepers cannot be tolerated. It would be a greater tragedy, however, if the result of these scandals was the withdrawal of these scandals was teh withdrawal of this mission rather than its reform. If elections are to succeed in the DRC, they will demand both an expanded international presence and a better trained and more thoroughly integrated Congolese defense force. The Administration's sustained leadership and high-level attention in dealing with the North-South civil war in Sudan has galvanized the peace process for one of Africa's longest running conflicts, and is a model wherein both Congress and the Admininstration worked together to make progress in a seemingly intractable conflict. It is our belief that similar high-level engagement is the key to moving the DRC and its neighbors out of a troubled past and into a future characterized by greater regional stability. The Tripartite Commission represents an important initiative with the potential to promote such stability if it receives that kind of attention and commitment. We believe that a regional approach is key, given the cross-border dimensions of the DRC conflict, as is international assistance in creating the conditions under which elections can be held and social infrastructure re-established. We look forward to hearing how you plan to elevate the level of U.S. leadership to address this important crisis, what your strategy is, and what Congress can do to assist U.S. efforts. With 1,000 deaths a day, we cannot allow this crisis to remain forgotten. Very respectfully, Sentor Mike DeWine (R - OH) Sentaor Richard Durbin (D - IL) Senator Sam Brownback (R - KS) Senator Patrick Leahy (D - VT) Senator John McCain (R - AZ) Senator John Corzine (D - NJ) Senator Thomas Carper (D - DE) Senator Barack Obama (D - IL) Senator Carl Levin (D - MI) Senator Frank Lautenberg (D - NJ) Senator Barbara Mikulski (D - MD) Senator Jeff Bingaman (D - NM) Senator Mel Martinez (R - FL) Senator Tom Harkin (D - IA) Senator Tim Johnson (D - SD) Senator Rick Santorm (R - PA)__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Northern Uganda: Building a Comprehensive Peace Strategy
Northern Uganda: Building a Comprehensive Peace Strategy Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site International Crisis Group (Brussels) PRESS RELEASEJune 23, 2005 Posted to the web June 24, 2005 Kampala/Brussels Peace may yet be possible in Northern Uganda in 2005. Many of the elements seem to be in place but need a more comprehensive framework and international support. Building a Comprehensive Peace Strategy for Northern Uganda, [pdf] the latest policy briefing from the International Crisis Group, lays out a comprehensive strategy for the achievement of peace, and examines prospects for a peace deal between the government of President Yoweri Museveni and the insurgent Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Mediation has occurred in recent months against a backdrop of continuing LRA atrocities against civilians. The LRA remains focused on terror tactics, not the control of territory. "We know what the rebels want, and we know the government is flexible in response", says John Prendergast, Special Adviser to the President of Crisis Group. "A credible mediation effort is in place. Time is running out for the LRA to engage directly in a process". After a brutal 19-year insurgency that has taken countless lives and displaced some 1.5 million people, the LRA's military position is becoming more tenuous, but it retains a highly disruptive capacity in the north to carry out mass abductions, mutilations, attacks on villages, looting and other violence. The key question now is whether Joseph Kony, the unpredictable LRA leader, is nearing a strategic decision that his prospects and those of his supporters are better served by a deal or whether he is merely playing for time in order to regroup as he has done several times in the past. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is expected to issue arrest warrants for Kony and his senior deputies shortly, which will put new pressure on all concerned, including the government and its authorised mediator, Betty Bigombe, to decide whether they will continue with the effort at negotiation. Although a negotiated settlement is usually viewed as the most direct path to an end of hostilities in the north, lasting peace requires much more than an arrangement with the LRA. A comprehensive peace strategy is needed, which involves: * increased support for the Bigombe mediation; * more sophisticated military operations; * a renewed effort at reintegrating LRA returnees into society; * a justice component that complements the peace process; * improved reconciliation initiatives; and * a hearts-and-minds strategy so the north feels government commitment. "The overall strategy also needs to be supported by increasingly visible international commitment, especially from the U.S., through envoys and focused public diplomacy", says __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] DRC-Rwanda: EU May Support Military Action Against Hutu Rebels, Ajello Says
DRC-Rwanda: EU May Support Military Action Against Hutu Rebels, Ajello Says Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site UN Integrated Regional Information Networks June 24, 2005 Posted to the web June 24, 2005 Kigali The EU special representative to Africa's Great Lakes region, Aldo Ajello, said on Friday the Union might support military action against Rwandan Hutu rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo if they refuse to disarm and return home. "Since the political option is not working for the time being, because we don't have the feeling that FDLR [Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda] are trying to implement what they said in their declaration [to disarm], then we are moving into the military option," Ajello said at a news conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. His warning to the rebels followed a meeting with President Paul Kagame. The Hutu-dominated FDLR signed a declaration in Rome in March announcing that it was ending its war against Rwanda and denounced the 1994 genocide in which many of its core members are suspected to have taken part. Despite that declaration three months ago, Ajello said the rebels had shown no commitment to return freely. In May, the rebels said they were reluctant to return home until they received more and firmer guarantees about their future in Rwanda. However, Kagame dismissed this request saying his government would not grant any special terms to ease the rebels' return. Ajello said on Friday that six Congolese army brigades would be deployed to eastern Congo to root out the FDLR, a move that the European bloc would support logistically. Rwanda has also been demanding similar action of the Congolese government, in the past. Ajello said two of the brigades would be deployed to the troubled northeastern district of Ituri, while the rest would be deployed to the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu to deal with the Rwandan Hutu rebels there. "You cannot assume that we will convince the people to come if the threat on the military side is not strong and credible," he said. "We keep preparing the military option and if they don't come, we'll implement this option." The government in Kinshasa has not yet given public confirmation of the deployment details outlined in Ajello's comment. Ajello said the EU would also support a proposed African Union force to be deployed to the east to help disarm the Rwandan rebels. Many leaders of the FDLR Hutu rebels are accused of involvement in the Rwandan genocide in which at least 937,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutu were killed between April and July 1994. Some FDLR rebels were members of the former Rwandan army, known as ex-FAR, and pro-Hutu militiamen, known as the Interahamwe. Both groups have been blamed for planning and carrying out the genocide. Rwanda has made it clear that all genocide suspects would be put on trial. Relevant Links Central Africa Human Rights Crime and Corruption Congo-Kinshasa Post-Conflict Challenges Civil War and Communal Conflict Rwanda Arms and Military Affairs The presence of thousands of Rwandan rebels in eastern Congo during the last 10 years has fuelled regional instability. Rwanda has used the presence of the rebels to justify its invasion of eastern Congo in 1996 and 1998. [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] * more sophisticated military operations*
* more sophisticated military operations* International Crises Groups calls for what it terms as quote " More Sophisticated Military Operations" against "Kony Rebels" in order to bring about peace in Northern Uganda. Political observers of The Great Lakes Region, can only but wonder aloud as to what International Crises Group has in Mind when They call for " More sophisticated Military Operations" against "Kony"? Observers note that after twenty years of using military means in an attempt to resolve the Northern Uganda Crises, it does appear that the Regime in Kampala has totally failed to bring peace to North of the country. What, therefore if any guarantee , does the International Crises Group have in mind that more " sophisticated Military Operations" presumable conducted by the UPDF, will this time around contain 'kony" and bring about peace in Northern Uganda? If there are no such grantee, why then call for more quote "sophisticated Military actions", when as a matter of fact, you know very well that more military actions will most certainly result into more Human Suffering for the people of Northern Uganda? Matek Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] NRM cards: Mutale under investigation
NRM cards: Mutale under investigation CHARLES M. MWANGUHYA & ROGERS MULINDWA KAMPALA & LUWEERO The government is investigating Maj. Kakooza Mutale, the senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs, on allegations that he has instructed people in Luwero to burn their NRM registration certificates. Government spokesman Dr. James Nsaba Buturo told Daily Monitor yesterday that Mutale will be punished if the reports are found to be true. Investigations are underway to verify whether what was reported not only by you (Daily Monitor) but even other sections is true, Dr Buturo said. If the investigations prove that it is true then appropriate action will be taken. The controversial advisor has come out openly to challenge the governments plans to campaign for a return to a multi-party system. The Daily Monitor reported on Saturday that Mutale had ordered residents of Luweero district not to register with the NRM and urged those that had already registered to burn their cards. Museveni is the chairman of the NRM, which was registered as a political party on October 31, 2003 under the Political Parties and Organisations Act. Buturo said yesterday that Mutale was a known member of the Movement who was well aware of its position on the question of opening up. In March 2003 the Movement National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Conference (NC) sitting in Kyankwanzi and Kampala respectively endorsed the opening up and also authorised the transformation of the Movement into an organisation or political party. The decision to open up is due to be endorsed in a referendum planned for July 28. Mutale remains opposed to opening up and has vowed to continue opposing the move. Buturo said Mutales orders were not in conformity with the values and standards of democracy. He, however, said that Mutales alleged orders have to be proved to be true by the investigation before government can make substantive comments or take action. We cannot make a statement based on reports in the media, he said. Opondo in doubtThe Movement and NRM spokesperson, Mr Ofwono Opondo, said he did not believe the reports that Mutale had instructed Luweero residents to destroy their NRM certificates. He added, however, that if they are true, then Mutale would be going against the law.Under the Political Parties and Organisations Act [PPOA] it is an offence to disfigure, destroy or burn a symbol, cards or any other recognised material of an opponent or other political party or organisation, Opondo said.Opondo said he believed the reports to be the work of people bent on putting Mutale on a collision course with the Movement and particularly President Museveni. Nadduli not happyBut the Luweero Chairman, Al Hajji Abdu Nadduli, told Daily Monitor on Friday that he had written a letter to the National Political Commissar, Dr Crispus Kiyonga to complain about Mutales activities. Nadduli threatened to arrest the officer. But Mutale appeared unfazed in his campaign. Fresh reports from Kikyusa and Kamira sub-counties in Luweero district suggested that he was planning an operation to search for NRM party cards issued out so far. Mutale has reportedly given the area residents up to Friday this week to burn all the cards they have so far received. The residents who spoke to the Daily Monitor from Wobulenzi town on their way to Kampala yesterday alleged that Mutale sounded determined to implement his decision. The move comes barely days after he directed the same residents never to register with NRM under the new multi-party political arrangement. Simon Mugerwa, a resident of Buzibwera in Kikyusa Sub County, told the Daily Monitor from Wobulenzi town yesterday morning that the situation was becoming more tense and that the residents were getting more confused with what to do. Mutales most recent remarks came on Saturday as he drove to his Matembe institute for a weekend. He was reportedly travelling in a white double cabin pick-up truck with a few soldiers on board. He stopped in Kamira and told a few people who braved to get closer to him that they should not vote for the return the multi-party politics in the forthcoming referendum, Mugerwa said. Mutale reportedly gave them up to Friday, July 1, to burn all their NRM cards and warned that he would mount an operation to search for those who had not complied. We have asked the district Movement chairperson to come and return their cards for temporary safe custody other than risking our lives, another resident said. But when contacted, the district movement chairperson, Mr. Daniel Mwebaza, said he had been to the area a day after the RDC, Mr Geoffrey Kyomukama, went there and assured the residents of protection. We have the appropriate measures in place so our people shouldnt worry, Mwebaza said. Officials threatenThe officials concerned with the registration of the NRM party members in the two-affected sub-counties have threatened to lay down the tools if
[Ugnet] More controversy over Aids global fund
Where the US Admin GLOBAL FUNDS ends up!! More controversy over Aids global fund SOLOMON MUYITA & KELVIN NSANGI KAMPALA The controversy surrounding the reported diversion of HIV/Aids funds to political activities, including the third term (kisanja) campaign, has taken a new twist with a government official accusing a leading Aids activist of failing to account for millions of shillings from the Aids Global Fund. Mr Fox Odoi, a legal assistant to the President, said on Kfms Straight To The Point talk show yesterday that a leading Aids activist, Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga, had misused some Aids monies, including Shs53 million he got from the Global Fund. Ruranga heads the National Guidance and Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/Aids. Ruranga cannot teach government of transparency and accountability, when he himself has failed to account for Shs53 million he took from the global fund to help people with Aids, he said. Ruranga had said on Friday that the government was planning to finance its political programmes with funds from the Global Fund. With the political transition, the government is looking for money to sponsor its political activities, he said. With bad governance you should expect this. AccountabilityBut Odoi said Ruranga had no business criticising the government, having failed to account for money he took from the Global Fund. He said Ruranga had received Shs53 million as part of a Shs148 million contract he has with the Global Fund. We have his contract documents and we shall publish them in the press. We also have information about the money he has got from the Uganda Aids Commission and a huge pick-up truck he drives and now uses to mobilize for the (Forum for Democratic Change) FDC, Odoi said.Kampala advocate Eriasi Lukwago, who appeared on the talk show with Odoi, said that the counter accusation was an admission that there was a problem with the management of the Fund. PetitionHIV/Aids activists last week petitioned Parliament over the management of the Aids money. They said that an official in government alerted them of an advanced plot by government to transfer the billions of shillings from the Ministry of Health to the Uganda Aids Commission, which is under the Office of the President. Ruranga, who phoned in, said he had attended a meeting at Kabira International at Bukoto, a city suburb, where the issue was being discussed. He said there was no doubt the money could easily be diverted to political activities. The issue of Aids is more of a health issue which should remain under the Health Ministry. It is no political issue to be put under the Office of the President, he said.On the claims by Odoi, Ruranga, accepted having received Shs53 million, but denied failing to account for it. Fox Odoi is misinformed and is behind the news. This project is still ongoing until July, and you cannot account before the end of a project, he said. This is money for raising billboards and carrying out concerts in schools about HIV/Aids, he said. Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Mugisha quits FDC executive
Mugisha quits FDC executive HUSSEIN BOGERE KAMPALA The coordinator of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the United States, Ms Anne Mugisha , has resigned in a move that caught the party leadership here by surprise.In a June 24 e-mail to the FDC chairperson, Col. Dr Kizza Besigye, Mugisha said, I regret that I am unable to continue with the task assigned to me. She added: I have serious financial constraints that restrict my ability to represent FDC effectively. Ms Anne Mugisha Mugisha explained that she was had resigned because the position required a level of financial commitment that she could not sustain. However, she emphasised that she would continue to support the office of the External Coordinator for USA within her limited financial means but with unlimited energy as a democracy activist and a fully-paid up member of FDC. I am available to serve in a position of leadership in FDC which will not require me to make huge personal financial commitments at the expense of urgent family obligations, Mugisha added. Mugisha is a single parent, raising three children in the United States where she has been living in exile since 2002. She works as Programme Associate with Womens Learning Partnership, a Washington-based organisation which promotes womens empowerment in developing countries. She dismissed speculation that she had been fired or had resigned because of disagreements with other FDC leaders.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] NRM registering children
NRM registering children Monitor Team THE NRM is massively recruiting children below the voting age in the on-going nationwide registration of its members, the Daily Monitor has learnt. "We are registering people who are under 18 years as well. We know they are not registered voters now but they will soon attain the majority age (18 years) to vote,"said Mr Dan Opima, the Arua District officer in-charge of registration and training. Opima, who was appearing on a talk show on Radio Pacis FM on Saturday, dismissed mounting public criticism that the registration of children s was a ploy to rig the March 2006 general elections. Reports from other districts indicate that district party officials were given a go -ahead to register members in primary and secondary schools. The Director of Information at the Movement Secretariat, Mr Ofwono Opondo, could not be reached for a comment yesterday.The NRM has in the past admitted that the party would target under-age members in its registration drive. Arua District NRM interim chairman, Mr Cyril Eriku, also denied reports that district officials were withdrawing registration cards of opposition parties from voters and replacing them with their own (NRM) cards. He said FDC supporters had registered for NRM after voluntarily surrendering their FDC cards.It has also emerged that NRM registration clerks in the villages are promising people jobs and other benefits if they enlisted as members of NRM. Executives deniedBut party executives denied the claims, saying they convince members of the public by explaining the good principles of the new party.NRM officials say over 200,000 residents of Arua have signed up as members of the party over the last one month of the recruitment drive. Eriku said yesterday that they had not received official tallies of registered members from each of the 36 sub-counties but estimates show that at least 100 supporters in each of Arua's 2,076 villages had registered in the NRM. The district Registrar for Electoral Commission, Mr Richard Balla, says Arua has about 260,000 registered voters only. In Gulu, the response to the registration has been so big that it has raised suspicion among NRM officials. Hundreds of people are rushing for the NRM cards after rumours began circulating that those who do not bear the cards could get into trouble in future. Some people are being told that the cards would work like identity cards in future. However, a top NRM district official said the party officials were worried that some people could be registering with intentions of later crossing to rival parties, especially the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Another official, Mr Tony Kitara, the NRM district chief mobiliser, said 157,000 had by Saturday registered in Gulu District. He added that the party hopes to win 80 percent of the votes in Gulu. A resident, Mr Steven Okot, said he registered out of fear for any possible political turmoil in future. He said he had a feeling that the cards might be asked for in future.In Kabale, about 11,500 out of 13,000 voters in Rwamucucu sub-county, Rukiga County have registered under the NRM, the area party coordinator, also LC3 Chairman, Mr Frank Besigye, said. Besigye said on Saturday that over 200 people who had registered under the FDC surrendered their registration certificates and demanded NRM cards claiming that they were registered without their consent. "I want to hand-over these FDC certificates to the RDCs office so that he can put them where they belong," he said. The Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Lt. James Mwesigye, said the results from other sub-counties have not yet been compiled but promised to avail them after they are ready. In Kisoro, the District Movement Chairman, Can. John Bitunguramye, told Daily Monitor that his office had not received any results about the NRM party registered supporters because the registration materials had reached late. "We are not worried of anything, he said. There is no political party that has even opened an office in Kisoro to oppose the NRM party. I am sure NRM party shall register over 99 percent of the total voters in Kisoro District." In Mbarara, the NRM district interim committee is targeting about 440,000 members, according to interim Movement Chairman Fred Kamugira.The Electoral Commission (EC)'s District Registrar, Mr Richard Baabo, confirmed by phone that the number of registered voters in the district is slightly above 450,000. Registration still onThe Secretary of the Movement Interim Committee, Mr Deus Tumusiime, yesterday said registration was still going on and people were coming "in big numbers." Asked when the registration would end, he said, "We haven't received a deadline from the top."Rival parties such as the FDC party are also registering members along side NRM but are alleging intimidation of their supporters.One trader said that some people had picked NRM party cards out of fear. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign
[Ugnet] ..and now MUSEVENI ACCUSSES THE UN and DRC Government! wow
Uganda slams Kinshasa, U.N. over east Congo gunmen By David Lewis 2 hours, 48 minutes ago KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the vast African nation are "preserving" foreign fighters who want to attack Uganda, its President Yoweri Museveni has said. Museveni wrote a letter, seen by Reuters in Kinshasa on Monday, to Congo's President Joseph Kabila last week complaining about the presence of Ugandan and Rwandan guerrillas in eastern Congo and the lack of disarmament of militia fighters. He warned that Uganda would "react vigorously" if attacked. "By preserving these terrorists, therefore, the Congo Government and MONUC (the U.N. mission in Congo) are preserving and allowing to grow the Great Lakes problem," the letter said. Foreign diplomats in Kinshasa said the letter was authentic. Uganda was one of six neighboring countries to send its army into Congo during a five-year war that was officially declared over in 2003 after the foreign armies withdrew and the belligerents joined a transitional government in Kinshasa. But Kinshasa's authority in the mineral-rich east of the country has repeatedly been undermined by Rwandan, Ugandan and Burundian armed groups who terrorise civilians despite the presence of thousands of U.N. peacekeepers. "I have recently got intelligence to the effect that the militia groups in eastern Congo are planning a new rebellion in eastern Congo," Museveni said in the June 22 letter, which was also sent to the U.N., the United States and regional leaders. "I have also got information that certain adventurists want to use the anticipated chaos in eastern Congo to launch terrorist attacks on Uganda. Uganda will react vigorously against any attacks from any quarter," he warned. Despite officially withdrawing their armies, both Uganda and Rwanda are suspected of continuing to meddle in the east, where both countries had huge economic interests during the war. The Rwandan Hutu FDLR rebels are considered the greatest threat to regional peace among the militia groups in the region. But there are also several Ugandan rebel groups based in Congo which Museveni says are preparing to launch attacks. INSTABILITY Uganda's Defense Minister Amama Mbabazi said he could not comment directly on Museveni's letter, but said Uganda had legitimate concerns about instability in eastern Congo. "We have security concerns because both the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and People's Redemption Army (PRA) rebels are still alive and active and preparing to attack Uganda from Congo," Mbabazi told Reuters. ADF rebels based on the border with Congo carried out deadly raids on villages in western Uganda and were blamed for a string of bombings in the capital Kampala in the late 1990s. Elections which had been due to take place by the end of June were the cornerstone of a 2003 deal to end Congo's war. The polls have been postponed until next year because of government wrangling, logistical delays and bloodshed in the east. An uprising by Tutsi army officers in the eastern town of Bukavu last year threatened to derail Congo's peace process. The insurgents left Bukavu under intense international pressure but they and many other armed groups remain at large. There are fears that the delay to what would be the first free and fair elections in 40 years could spark another crisis in Congo, where nearly 4 million people have died, mostly from hunger and disease, since the war began in 1998. (Additional reporting by Daniel Wallis in Kampala)__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Sudan: Rebels Say Civilians Being Bombed in the East
Sudan: Rebels Say Civilians Being Bombed in the East Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site UN Integrated Regional Information Networks June 27, 2005 Posted to the web June 27, 2005 Asmara Sudanese rebels who recently clashed with government forces in the east have accused Khartoum of using planes to bomb civilians near the Eritrean border. "Civilians take all the punishment - their houses, their livestock. Today [Friday] they are bombing with aircraft," said Salah Barqueen, a senior official of the Eastern Front, a rebel movement formed in February when the Beja Congress merged with another eastern rebel group, the Rashaida Free Lions. Taisier Ali, secretary-general of the Sudan Alliance Forces, a Sudanese opposition group based in neighbouring Asmara, Eritrea, said they thought the planes were Russian-made Antonov bombers attacking from a high altitude. "Whenever they see a crowd of people, they just release their bombs - which invariably fall on civilians," Ali said. The Sudanese minister of information and communication, Abd-al-Basit Sabdarat, dismissed the rebels' claims that government planes had bombarded civilians in eastern Sudan. "The government did not use [war] planes, nor did it carry out any air raid on any region in eastern Sudan," he said in a statement on Friday. According to Suna, the official Sudanese news agency, the minister said the government would protect the lives and property of civilians should the rebels do anything to threaten the security or stability of the country. Independent confirmation of the attacks and casualty figures was unavailable on Monday. Officials from both the Eastern Front and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a rebel group from the western region of Darfur, reported movements of civilians away from the area, some of them towards Port Sudan. Fighting between government soldiers and rebels from Darfur and eastern Sudan broke out on 19 June near the town of Tokar, 120 km south of Port Sudan. The rebels claimed to have captured government soldiers, weapons, and ammunition. On 21 June they claimed to have destroyed three government camps close to Tokar. The Sudanese army denied the rebel claims, and said in a separate statement that it had dealt with the offensive and was in complete control of the area. Fergus Thomas, field coordinator for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), one of two NGOs working in the rebel-controlled area, said he had seen Beja rebels celebrating following clashes with government forces. Diplomats in Asmara warned that the east could become Sudan's next flashpoint, given that rebels in the region had complained of neglect and marginalisation by the government in Khartoum. The rebels claimed the government had started building up its military presence near Hamesh Koreb, the largest town in the northeast of the region. "There are preparations from the other side [of Hamesh Koreb] - government soldiers, troops, tanks and weapons," Barqueen said. "We cannot say that it is quiet or ended or finished." Sudanese rebels have controlled a small piece of territory in eastern Sudan, adjacent to Eritrea, since the late 1990s. They have clashed intermittently with government forces in the east since 1996, but tension has risen in recent months. EFFECTS OF CONFLICT A report by the IRC issued on Monday warned: "Prolonged fighting in the area has combined with chronic drought and epidemic levels of animal disease placing the whole Beja way of life at risk." Relief workers estimate that between 45,000 and 186,000 Beja live in the 15,000 sq km rebel-controlled area. The total Beja population in eastern Sudan is about 2.4 million, with another 400,000 living in Egypt and Eritrea. "[The Beja] are one of the few remaining communities in the world who still depend solely on their livestock for their economic security," the IRC noted. "If the health needs of animals are not addressed in this community, you effectively don't address the fundamental need of their community." It said livestock populations had declined by roughly 40 percent over the past five years, mainly due to diseases such as tuberculosis, tripanosomiasis and brucellosis. "We also found isolated communities with cases of rinderpest and anthrax, so that's particularly worrying and something that needs to be addressed as an emergency," Thomas said. The diseases threaten both the livelihood and health of the Beja. "Brucellosis is especially worrying, because it causes sterility and is transmitted through drinking milk," he added. Traditionally, Beja women wean their babies very early and replace their milk with animal milk or a mix of sugar and water. "You are getting a lot of malnourishment in children, because they are not getting their mother's milk," he noted. "Mothers are feeding them with sugar solution, which is not providing them with the nutrients that they need. That is leading to childhood malnutrition and extremely
[Ugnet] Govt to Probe IDP Feeding
Govt to Probe IDP Feeding Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) June 25, 2005 Posted to the web June 27, 2005 Henry Mukasa and Milton OlupotKampala "It's outrageous for anybody to say displaced persons will not eat if they do not have NRM cards. It's not a government policy," Premier Prof. Apolo Nsibambi told Parliament on Wednesday. The government is to investigate reports that displaced persons without NRM registration cards are denied food. Nsibambi said the IDP policy demands not only protection of war-displaced people but also feeding them. "We shall not hesitate to punish harshly those involved," he said. Prof. Latigo Ogenga (Agago) on Wednesday said IDPs in his constituency were denied food because they had not registered with the NRM. James Mwandha (PWDs) called for an explanation, prompting Nsibambi to respond. The Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, had poured cold water on the matter, saying NRM's enemies could be using it as a marketing gimmick. On Thursday, Reagan Okumu (Aswa) stunned the House when he said voter register verification and update was also being tagged to NRM registration cards. He said the Forum for Democratic Change office had received complaints from Busia, Kitgum, Kabale and Arua over the matter. Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya protested and Ssekandi ruled that without evidence, Okumu should withdraw the allegations. Discover Yahoo! Have fun online with music videos, cool games, IM & more. Check it out!___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Lukyamuzi Weeps!!!!!
Lukyamuzi Weeps Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) June 25, 2005 Posted to the web June 27, 2005 Eddie SsejjobaKampala Lubaga South MP John Ken Lukyamuzi stunned residents in his village in Rakai when he wept at a public rally, saying "thieves" traumatised his mother. "Thieves" have reportedly attacked Besi Nantenza of Lutunga in Kirumba sub-county in Kyotera, 10 times, including last Wednesday. Lukyamuzi said they stole money, household items and matooke from her banana plantations. Hesaid LC officials knew the suspects but did nothing to protect Nantenza. "I will forward this matter to President Yoweri Museveni.Although I am from the opposition, Museveni is my friend," Lukyamuzi said. He regretted that although he was a freedom fighter and an advocate for human rights, his mother was harassedby hooligans. "Is it because I am from the opposition or is ita plot to witch hunt me?" he asked as he wept.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Sudanese Refugees Flee to Uganda
Lok Odoko tek!!! Sudanese Refugees Flee to Uganda Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) June 25, 2005 Posted to the web June 27, 2005 Alfred WasikeKampala THE new UN High commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, travelled to Uganda to officiate at the repatriation of thousands of Sudanese refugees but instead met new ones fleeing from the LRA rebel terror in Sudan. The former Portuguese premier, who assumed office on June 15 as the 10th head of the UN agency that looks after at least 17 million refugees in 115 countries, concluded his first task with a tour of camps in north-western Uganda on Wednesday. He said over 8,000 fresh refugees had fled to Uganda, blocking planned repatriation exercises. "What we have witnessed in north-western Uganda is very difficult to find in any other parts of the world," Guterres told journalists in Kampala on Thursday. "There is a lot of insecurity in the Equatoria part of Sudan. The so-called Lord's Resistance Army is now not only trying to seek refuge and sanctuary in Sudan but is also attacking populations there, probably in search of food or anything they eventually want to pursue their activities," he said, warning that the LRA terror was a new factor of instability in Sudan. He called for fast deployment of peace-keepers to protect Sudanese against the LRA. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Rhetorically speaking!
Given the many wars in which the UPDF has been engaged for 20 years, given the issue of Ghost soldiers involving Kazini Mavi Yaa Kuku, given the High level of Corruption within and among Museveni's UPDF, how then can one conclude with any degree of certainty, that with all this Problems in the UPDf, Yoweri Museveni with his UPDF forces are still and will be capable to contain what Museveni fear as another "rebel" insurgency emanating from DRC Congo. Observers have long concluded that Museveni is simply bluffing. He has no army to speak off!!! Just reasoning Aloud!!.. but then of course he can always ( delo Wangee) and deceive member of the international community Matek I have recently got intelligence to the effect that the militia groups in eastern Congo are planning a new rebellion in eastern Congo," Museveni said in the June 22 letter, which was also sent to the U.N., the United States and regional leaders. "I have also got information that certain adventurists want to use the anticipated chaos in eastern Congo to launch terrorist attacks on Uganda. Uganda will react vigorously against any attacks from any quarter," he warned. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] THE ECHO part 2
US Group indicts UPDF In December 2004, a US based NGO (Refugee International) released a report on Northern Uganda. In its 2 week investigation, the body found the UPDF at the heart of atrocities which were taking place in Northern Uganda. It catalogued recruitment of children into the national army and in situations where the UPDF could not find readily available men; force/abduction was the mode of recruitment. The NGO reported that during one of its visits to a camp in Kitgum, it found the UPDF had forcibly recruited (abducted) 52 inhabitants under the pretext that the civilians were deserters. When the NGO (Refugee International) tried to verify the true status of the recruits, local leaders reported that few if any of those taken were infact deserters. The report noted that arrest and torture of those refu sing to join the UPDF were common place (with civilians being falsely accused of rebel "collaboration"). The most vulnerable group, the report found where those who had a history of participating in opposition politics (e.g. members of Uganda's traditional political parties like UPC and DP). The report noted that sexual violence (especially attacks by the UPDF) were rife in the camps. It found that rapes, particularly by the UPDF mobile force "were assumed to be widespread" and said "most women and girls out stigmatisation and fear of retribution (by the UPDF) do not come forward to accuse the rapists". It concluded "whilst defilement or sex with under-age girls is a serious crime in Uganda, UPDF soldiers are rarely brought to book". In a related matter, the report found that because NGO's (including many that express expert opinion on Northern Uganda) do not travel regularly to camps in Northern Uganda, there was little monitori ng and reporting of human right abuses by the UPDF. UPDF massacre civilians in Acholibur... On 12 February 2005, 12 men together with their wives left Acholi-Bur camp for their former homesteads. The women quickly gathered wild vegetables together with firewood to go and prepare food for their families (children). The men remained behind in the bush, looking for building poles and reeds to repair their huts in the camps. It was then that the UPDF mobile troops came across the civilians. The UPDF collected the men and accused them of taking supplies to the LRA. The crime the civilians committed in the eyes of the UPDF was being in an area the UPDF wanted "devoid of people" (which according to the UPDF translates into being a collaborator with the LRA). The UPDF then tied up the men and held them prisoner. During the night 2 of th e civilians managed to escape and they reported to people in the camp that the rest of the group were being held in the "jungle" by the UPDF mobile force. On the 13 February 2005, other civilians who had ventured out of the camp to look for building materials found the bodies of the civilians. The UPDF had killed all of them during the night. When news broke to the camp that the UPDF had carried out the killings, these were denied by the UPDF hierarchy in Acholi-Bur as mere rumour mongering. When the relatives of the deceased men collected their bodies for burial, the UPDF then put out a statement saying the men were killed by the LRA. They claimed the men had gone to look for firewood "in an area which was not protected" i.e. outside the camp. For the people of Acholi-Bur though, they knew the truth because two of their members saw with their very own eyes that it was the UPDF that held their colleagues. To them this killi ng, like the ones before were the work of none other than the UPDF. And the killings continue... One of the findings of the US based group (Refugee International) was that people who had history of participation in political party politics were most at risk of attack from the UPDF in Northern Uganda. In March 2005, a legislator from Northern Uganda gave an account of civilians who were killed by the UPDF in the preceding weeks in his constituency; "MP Okumu said the army killed Owiny P. Oneka of Paduny parish in Awach sub-county, Nyeko Batulumayo, Vincent Ayella from Awach, Richard Kidega of Olel Primary School, David Nyeko of Awach Camp One Ave, Binoni Odongo of Pagik and Onuna between February and March. He said a week earlier, Orach Otim was arrested from Pabbo camp and taken to Gulu Military Barracks where he was promised to be released if he joined the NRM. Okumu pointed out over 10 incidences in which he said the victims were killed, detained or threatened by soldiers from the 11th battalion". __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] ..in retrospect then and now....Congo Looting Keeps East Awash in Guns
Congo Looting Keeps East Awash in Guns Sat Mar 5, 8:35 AM ET By William Maclean BUNIA, Congo (Retters) - "I will die in Congo," the Nigerian businessman declared. "I make so much money, I can never leave!" he explained. His Ukrainian colleague grinned in agreement. It was 2003, and the young African trader was explaining to visitors why he had braved east Congo's violence to develop a local trading firm with European and Congolese partners. Two years on, and Congolese here say there has been no let up in the race for gold and diamonds in northeast Ituri, a mining region that hit the headlines this month when nine U.N. peacekeeping troops were murdered by militia fighters. They say efforts to stabilize this volatile corner of Democratic Republic of Congo (news - web sites) (DRC) are doomed as long as its free-wheeling trade and aviation sector remains unregulated. A British report into gun running in the region said lack of an effective government was a key reason why a 2003 U.N. arms embargo on Ituri district and neighboring North and South Kivu provinces had failed so dismally. The region is awash in guns, a factor stoking clashes. Fighting between militias from the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups has killed at least 50,000 since 1999, hurting efforts by the former Belgian colony to recover from a wider war. "Lack of state control in the east means few border controls, no airspace control and no administrative control," the December 2004 report by Britain's All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes said. "This long standing vacuum has been largely filled by a network of private entrepreneurs and military figures...The general breakdown of state control and the importance of aviation in ferrying cargo and passengers have created a free-for-all situation." A pair of binoculars and a radio are the only airspace monitoring gear to be found at most airports, it says. HANDSHAKE DEALS Some of the trade is licensed, some of it plainly illegal, and some is based on handshake agreements of dubious status. All of it reflects the commercial interest the outside world has in Congolese gold, timber, diamonds and other minerals, a lure that helped draw six neighboring states into Congo's many-sided war from 1998 to 2003. Congolese say a recent worsening of political and ethnic instability in Ituri has a commercial element, in this case control over customs revenues along part of the Uganda border. Diplomats say militia leaders have links to Congolese businessmen who are in turn backed by African, European and Asian businessmen hunting mineral wealth around Bunia. In return for protecting mining and other businesses, guns are flown to dozens of unregulated airstrips or sometimes parachuted to the warring parties, the report says. Many aircrAft plying east Congo's unmonitored airspace use fake registrations to hide their true ownership or to avoid mandatory but costly airworthiness inspections. Some aircraft owners or operators seek to avoid overflight and landing fees by using another plane's call sign and another firm's billing address. And some pilots have been forced at gunpoint to carry weapons, the report says. "The economy in east DRC is Closely linked to Kampala, Kigali and Bujumbura, and the arms trade is no exception -- arms networks are controlled by businessmen whose interests coincide with those of the combatants," the report said. Most suspect sanctions-busting aircraft use the main airports at Beni, Bunia, Butembo, Bukavu and Goma, as well as dozens of bush airstrips deep in the interior, it said. Not every businessman strikes it rich. "I lost $40,000 in that bloody country!" moaned a stocky, bearded South African in shorts and desert boots on his way out of Congo after an unsuccessful business trip in 2004. Lack of the right friends meant that instead of striking it rich in a mining deal he spent several days in prison instead. Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] IN retrospect .....Talks Still On, Says Rugunda..posted some few months back
In retrospect. This articles is hereby being posted to make you think then and now.!! Talks Still On, Says Rugunda Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) March 8, 2005 Posted to the web March 7, 2005 Frank NyakairuKampala Internal Affairs Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, has dismissed reports that peace talks between the government and the Lords Resistance Army have ended with the absence of the chief mediator. Ms Betty Bigombe, the chief negotiator, returned to the United States where she works but Rugunda insists the talks with the LRA are still on. "Bigombe has gone for a short time. She will be back soon," Rugunda said yesterday. "We are still in touch with the LRA and our policy remains multi-pronged," he said. "We still encourage the rebels to embraced the Amnesty Law 2000. We encourage more and more to come out and the sooner the better and so long as the rebellion exists in northern Uganda, the UPDF will continue to quell it," Rugunda said. The peace process that begun in November 2004 suffered several hitches that led to the failed signing of the ceasefire agreement on New Years eve and the surrender of the LRA peace team leader Sam Kolo. The other factor, according to civil society organisations, was the continued investigations of the LRA top leadership by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Government unilateral ceasefire expired on February 22. Relevant LinksEast Africa Civil War and Communal Conflict Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution Uganda Rugunda is optimistic that the government's multi-pronged policy on the war will pay off. Bigombe, who works in the post conflict unit of the World Bank, had taken time off to try and bring the 19-year war to an end. Her talks with LRA's leader Joseph in 1993 collapsed after President Museveni accused the rebels of using the ceasefire to plan more attacks. meanwhile .. in Apac__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Soldiers Cited in Sexual Abuse
Soldiers Cited in Sexual Abuse Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) June 26, 2005 Posted to the web June 27, 2005 Peter NyanziKampala A new report has named UPDF soldiers as some of the perpetrators of sexual violence against women and children in Pabbo IDP camp in northern Uganda. The report, Suffering in Silence: A Study of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) In Pabbo Camp, was launched in Gulu recently. A United Nations child care organisation, Unicef, commissioned the research in September 2004. "Attacks [against women and children] also come from soldiers whose task is to protect camp residents, as they demand for sex from women and girls in exchange for food, shelter, protection, etc," the reports reads in part. But the UPDF spokesman in Gulu, Lt. Kiconco Tabaro, defended the forces, saying they have not received complaints about criminal behaviour by officers in Pabbo camp. Army denies "We are not aware that our officers in Pabbo are involved in such criminal activities. It is not the policy of the UPDF to condone such conduct. The normal procedure is that the culprits should be reported to us so that they face court martial," Kiconco said. Pabbo IDP camp was created in 1986 with an initial population of 30,000 but the number has now more than doubled, with more than two thirds of them women and children. According to the research, six out of every 10 women in the camp have been physically and sexually assaulted, threatened and humiliated by men including UPDF soldiers. It says the most vulnerable groups, based on the data compiled from both the area police post and a health centre in the camp, are girls aged between 13 and 17. Women aged from 19 to 36 follow, then younger children aged from 4 to 9. However, the report says it is difficult to estimate the actual extent of SGBV incidences in the camp. "Actual incidence of sexually inappropriate behaviour in Pabbo camp is estimated to be much higher than the cases reported," it says. According to the report, current methods of estimating the number of women who are assaulted do not reflect the occurrence of violence. The statistics are based on reported incidents of abuse obtained from police, hospital records, LCs, and camp leaders. Girls barter sex for goods It says defilement rates are mostly a result of gross deprivation in the camps, forcing young girls to barter sex for essential items. Parents were also forcing their children into early marriages to get money, exposing the girls to HIV\Aids and sexually transmitted infections. According to the report, Pabbo Health Centre registered 49 births by girls below 18 years out of 80 births. Relevant Links East Africa Uganda Human Rights Children and Youth Crime and Corruption Arms and Military Affairs Refugees and Displacement The report says one of the major effects of defilement has been exclusion from education, whereby the rate of girls dropping out of school was too high. In the P7 class of 2004 in Agole Primary School in Pabbo, there were only 20 girls compared to 76 boys. Unicef country representative, Mr Martin Mogwanja, called for practical response from those concerned. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] ...in restrospect .....Bigombe Gets New Peace Deal Broker
Bigombe Gets New Peace Deal Broker Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) May 23, 2005 Posted to the web May 23, 2005 John Muto Ono P'lajurGulu The peace broker between the government and the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), Ms Betty Bigombe, has a got a new co-mediator, Mr Jacob Frydenlund. This was revealed by the Gulu LC5 Chairman, Col. Walter Ochora Odoch, during a radio talk show on Mega Fm on Saturday over the weekend. Frydenlund, a Norwegian Ambassador, is known for his efforts to push forward the apparently stalled peace process in northern Uganda. Ochora said the ambassador who has already been in Uganda for one week has been seconded by the International Community to work with Bigombe for a month. Ochora appealed to the rebels to take advantage of the expertise of Frydenlund to enter into meaningful dialogue and end the 19-year-old insurgency. "This is the man who was instrumental in bringing truce between the Israelis and the Palestinians. You should take advantage of his presence in the north. He is here to listen to you and monitor the peace process on behalf of the international community," Ochora said. Bigombe could not be reached for a comment.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Six Out of 10 Women Raped - UNICEF
Six Out of 10 Women Raped - UNICEF Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) June 27, 2005 Posted to the web June 27, 2005 Kampala A UNICEF commissioned study on sexual and gender-based violence reveals rape and child sexual abuse has become 'normal' in Pabbo IDP Camp. It is the biggest camp in the north with over 67, 000 people (48,000 women and children). The study revealed six out of 10 women have suffered, 70% of girls below 18 are victims. But only five rape cases and 78 defilement cases were reported to Pabbo police post between April and August 2004. "There is fear to report these cases because of stigmatisation by the community. Distrust of authorities and harsh investigations leave the victim with no private life. ignorance of reporting procedures and costs involved are also a hurdle for the women who want justice," Isabella Amony, a researcher, said. The study was done in in September 2004. Its report was launched at Gulu Support the Children Organisation centre this month. The report suffering in silence revealed sexual violence has physically, mentally and emotionally traumatised thousands of children and women, like 60-year-old Christine. It was on the Easter weekend this year. The night was pitch dark, it threatened to rain. She alarmed when the rapist pounced on her. By the time her neighbours gained courage to come to her rescue, the man, an ex-UPDF soldier, had escaped. Christine now bleeds constantly and her lower abdomen hurts terribly. Bits from her tattered blanket can't pad away the heavy blood flow. She can't walk even to the nearby villages to dig, so she spends days without food. Her name is not on the list for relief food. The man is on remand in Gulu prison. When his trial comes, he might go scot-free because Christine cannot afford to travel to testify against him. For Santa, her world is filled with torment and uncertainty. One night in June 2004, a man ripped her polythene sack door off. He pulled her out, slicing the skin on her neck with a panga when she resisted. The man, an ex-UPDF soldier, raped her in a nearby swamp. "We collected money to take him to Gulu. I didn't have money to travel to testify against him. I avoided sex with my husband. I wanted to go for an HIV test, but had no money. We considered using condoms, but they were not available, so we had unprotected sex. We want to know our status," she says. Santa says back home, a rapist would be severely punished. She has lost hope of returning home after the 19-year-old war. Dr Charles Engenye, a Gulu Hospital gynaecologist, said many rapists are HIV/AIDS positive. "We should administer post exposure prophylaxis, where victims are screened within 24 hours and put on treatment to destroy the virus. It is cheaper than antiretrovirals," Engenye said. Amony said conservative figures of sexual violence are 40% for UPDF soldiers and the 60% are husbands, teachers, relatives and strangers. Many times, women and girls are sexually abused when they go to look for firewood or food. "Difficult living conditions force abused girls into prostitution. Congestion, drunkenness and idleness, restricted livelihood and the culture of silence make them vulnerable to sexual abuse," Amony said. Lack of civilian security makes people unable to protect themselves. In Pabbo, marital rape doesn't exist. School girls are defiled and wife-battering is high, especially when their husbands are drunk. Relevant Links East Africa Women and Gender Conflict, Peace and Security Arms and Military Affairs Health and Medicine Human Rights Refugees and Displacement Uganda "Data from Pabbo police post, the health centre and the study shows girls between 13 and 17 are the most frequent survivors. Women aged 19-36 follow. "But children aged four to nine are also victims. We are concerned that 7-13 year-old girls are the biggest survivors. Some are 4-year-olds. Violence destroys self-esteem and the ability to become a good parent," Martin Mogwanja UNICEF country director said.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps
'I Was Raped By Men Who Should Have Guarded Me' Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) INTERVIEWJune 27, 2005 Posted to the web June 27, 2005 Kampala STELLA was awakened by heavy footsteps treading outside her makeshift shack. She realised very soon she may breath her last. It was about 11:00pm. The moon brightly shone over Pabbo internally displaced people's camp, Gulu. Her heart missed several beats, then begun pounding in her ears. Stella prayed that God spares her children. In desperation, she shook the child lying next to her. "Wake up," she whispered. Unfortunately, the little girl woke up in a fright. She screamed. On Stella's other side, the last born also begun crying. The presence of her husband in the dingy hut was of no use. The father of her five children was dead drunk. She was even more terrified when he begun snoring loudly. She wanted to weep! But realised that would be at her children's detriment. Anguish seized her. She tried to calm herself, but could hardly stop the violent shiver that shook her from head to toe. A heavy sigh escaped her when the children stopped crying. Stella narrates... "I thought oh, God has heard me again. The footsteps outside had stopped, but in my frightened state, I didn't know which side they had gone. I stuffed my breast in the baby's mouth to prevent any further outbursts. "As I leaned on the mud wattle wall, my heart sank when I heard someone banging on the tin door," she narrates. "Funguwa mulango (open the door)," a man shouted. "Lubanga (God in Acholi)," I whispered, Lubanga! The door was made of straightened and patched up tins of USA oil. It was weak, so they easily kicked it open. All the children had woken up, but their father continued snoring. I held my breast firmly in the baby's mouth. "They were flashing torches, so glimpses of light fell on them. I recognised one of them, but I couldn't say for fear that they could kill my whole family. He was a popular soldier in the camp. "They were six men. They ordered me and my 10-year-old daughter to go out. "The moon was bright. Some were speaking Kiswahili with a Kinyankole accent. I knew they were UPDF soldiers not rebels. "My daughter tried to cry, but one of the soldiers kicked her and she fell on the ground. I stood there, helpless. I wanted to help my child, but I had to be cautious, any wrong move could get us killed. Seeing they were soldiers, I knew what they wanted. I only wished they could leave my little girl alone. "They ordered us to begin moving. I tried to plead with them to let my daughter go back and was slapped in the face. They accused me of being a rebel collaborator. I was not surprised. Other women said that is what they always said. "We were told not to look behind as we moved away from the camp. They ordered me to throw my baby in the bush. He was crying incessantly. I refused. I told them to kill us quickly, if they had plans of taking our lives. "One man slapped my face again and grabbed the baby. My son cried so loudly. I thought my ears would burst. He was thrown into the shrubs. I pleaded with him in vain. "After a distance, they ordered us to lie with our faces on the ground. I felt rough hands groping under my dress. As they raped me in turns, they were doing the same to my daughter. I could hear her struggling but they covered her mouth. She stopped struggling at some point. I think I also blacked out," Every woman and girl in Pabbo IDP camp braves herself for rape and child sexual abuse respectively. Only, Stella says it strips off all preparations, leaving you shattered. She narrates... "I woke up with a start. There was dew on the grass. I moved my legs and felt sore all over. Then the horror came back to me. The pain was excruciating. But I remembered my children. My daughter was lying nearby, she was groaning. When I tried to help her up, she couldn't stand. "I had to hurry before the whole camp woke up. I couldn't stand the humiliation of what had happened. I carried my daughter to the camp. The pain was like I had been sliced between the legs, but I moved on. I passed my baby and stopped to check if he was breathing. I think he cried himself to sleep. Relevant Links East Africa Women and Gender Refugees and Displacement Uganda Civil War and Communal Conflict Arms and Military Affairs Human Rights "My daughter was bleeding profusely. For four days, she refused to come out of the hut. I told my husband what happened. He went to report to the barracks, but was beaten up severely. "My bright girl has since dropped out of school, other children laugh at her. The soldiers were not punished, they were just transferred..." Stella says. Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.in
[Ugnet] Tracing the roots of the Acholi people s suffering..by Yoweri Museveni
Tracing the roots of the Acholi peoples suffering Yoweri K. Museveni GULU The suffering of our people in Acholi, in particular, as well as part of the North-Central part of Uganda in general, has been occasioned by six factors: colonial manipulation and distortions; poor leadership; a weak state; bad national politics; the Afro-Arab conflict in the Sudan; and lack of education leading to mysticism.When the British were colonizing Uganda, they used the method of playing one group against another (divide and rule). Fearing the strength of the Buganda they had expanded at the expense of Bunyoro, in particular, as well as other parts of Uganda in general, they started a new scheme of using parts of the North against our people in Buganda. They, then, started peddling certain myths and lies to play one group of our people against another. For instance, the Baganda were very "clever" people. They were not like other natives of Uganda. On the other hand, the Northerners, the Acholis in particular, were "a martial race" whose natural ins tincts were skewed towards war-like activities. Those lies and distortions went to the heads of whatever leadership was available at that time which, in turn, amplified and spread them to the rest of the population.Clear thinking leaders should never have countenanced such trash. It should have been treated with disdain they deserved before it led our people to all these sufferings: the 1966 coup by Obote against the Constitution; Amin's 1971 coup and the hemorrhage that went with it; the missed chance of 1979/1980; the massacres in Luwero (the philosophy of "a good Muganda is a dead one"); and the demonic madness of Kony, his collaborators and apologists. Poor leadershipJuxtaposed side by side with the problem of colonial distortions and manipulation is the problem of poor leadership in Acholi. Like many other areas of Uganda, our Acholi people lacked leaders from within the community to tell, in very clear language, the trouble makers to go to hell.Buganda, and other parts of Uganda, for a long time, had the same problem: - nobody within the respective communities to tell off the trouble-makers and parasites. My personal experiences highlight this issue in two instances: the onset of Idi Amin in 1971 and the problem of Obugabe (Kingship in Ankole). Virtually all the citizens of North Ankole had been DP supporters. They, therefore, jubilated when Obote was overthrown by Amin. Their simple but erroneous reasoning was as follows: "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." I told off all my confused compatriots, relatives, friends or previous collaborators. I could not support an uneducated person to be the President of Uganda for any length of time; moreover, a person that was known to be a killer. I never aided or abetted Amin for even one day. In so doing I provided uncompromising leadership against evil, against my very relatives, friends and close collaborators. More recently, there was the divisive issue of Obugabe (Kingship) in Ankole. I made it very clear that either Omugabe was accepted by all sections or we would allow no Mugabe. That type of leadership has been lacking in Acholi, except for some few individuals from this area. How could leaders accept rape of children, murders, mutilations, disfigurements, etc? By not condemning loudly the terrorists, many Acholi leaders were encouraging the wrong-doers. In fact, they would say: "let us kill civilians and Government would be blamed". Indeed, it would happen - the Government would be condemned and the killers would either be pampered or covered up. How many times did we hear the statements li ke: "It is the Government killing Acholis and blaming it on the rebels"? Weak state The third factor was a weak state, especially the phenomenon of a one-dimensional national defence force. Modern Armies are, at least, three-dimensional. A three-dimensional defence force covers land, sea (lakes) and air - i.e. Army, Airforce and navy. Owing to the turbulent history of Uganda, the building of a three dimensional National Defence force was never achieved. It is only recently that we are tackling this problem. By 1986 we had a very dedicated land force (infantry mainly). It was not, however, possible to quickly resolve the terrorism put out by Kony, supported by certain external forces, only relying on this force alone. That is why the struggle had to be protracted. We are now, finally, solving that problem of a uni-dimensional national defence force. That is how we have been able to break the back of the terrorists. We are continuing to build the three dimensions of our national defence forces. I can assure Ug andans that, henceforth, it will not be possible for any force to destabilise our democracy using force. We have the capacity to deal with them promptly unlike in the past when we had to engage in this valiant but protracted campaign against the terrorists. Those in the habit of threatening violence had better restrain
[Ugnet] Tracing the roots of the Acholi people s suffering..by Yoweri Museveni..brief comm ent by Matek
Fellow Citizens: Sometimes I am simply left with a sense of disbelieve when I read and try to comprehend Museveni's Bull Mavi... So Museveni really thinks this his stupid crap of is going to sell? The fellow is simply a deranged idiot who does not know what he is talking about...I hear Acholi suffering is due to " colonial Manipulations".."Afro-Arab Conflict in Southern Sudan" Lack of eductation leading to mysticism." ...etc..etc.. The fact of the matter fellow citizens , is that Museveni createdthe mess in Northern and Eastern Uganda..and he is yet to pay for this when his bold becomes dek Quiddy!!! matek Tracing the roots of the Acholi peoples suffering Yoweri K. Museveni GULU The suffering of our people in Acholi, in particular, as well as part of the North-Central part of Uganda in general, has been occasioned by six factors: colonial manipulation and distortions; poor leadership; a weak state; bad national politics; the Afro-Arab conflict in the Sudan; and lack of education leading to mysticism.When the British were colonizing Uganda, they used the method of playing one group against another (divide and rule). Fearing the strength of the Buganda they had expanded at the expense of Bunyoro, in particular, as well as other parts of Uganda in general, they started a new scheme of using parts of the North against our people in Buganda. They, then, started peddling certain myths and lies to play one group of our people against another. For instance, the Baganda were very "clever" people. They were not like other natives of Uganda. On the other hand, the Northerners, the Acholis in particular, were "a martial race" whose natural ins tincts were skewed towards war-like activities. Those lies and distortions went to the heads of whatever leadership was available at that time which, in turn, amplified and spread them to the rest of the population.Clear thinking leaders should never have countenanced such trash. It should have been treated with disdain they deserved before it led our people to all these sufferings: the 1966 coup by Obote against the Constitution; Amin's 1971 coup and the hemorrhage that went with it; the missed chance of 1979/1980; the massacres in Luwero (the philosophy of "a good Muganda is a dead one"); and the demonic madness of Kony, his collaborators and apologists. Poor leadershipJuxtaposed side by side with the problem of colonial distortions and manipulation is the problem of poor leadership in Acholi. Like many other areas of Uganda, our Acholi people lacked leaders from within the community to tell, in very clear language, the trouble makers to go to hell.Buganda, and other parts of Uganda, for a long time, had the same problem: - nobody within the respective communities to tell off the trouble-makers and parasites. My personal experiences highlight this issue in two instances: the onset of Idi Amin in 1971 and the problem of Obugabe (Kingship in Ankole). Virtually all the citizens of North Ankole had been DP supporters. They, therefore, jubilated when Obote was overthrown by Amin. Their simple but erroneous reasoning was as follows: "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." I told off all my confused compatriots, relatives, friends or previous collaborators. I could not support an uneducated person to be the President of Uganda for any length of time; moreover, a person that was known to be a killer. I never aided or abetted Amin for even one day. In so doing I provided uncompromising leadership against evil, against my very relatives, friends and close collaborators. More recently, there was the divisive issue of Obugabe (Kingship) in Ankole. I made it very clear that either Omugabe was accepted by all sections or we would allow no Mugabe. That type of leadership has been lacking in Acholi, except for some few individuals from this area. How could leaders accept rape of children, murders, mutilations, disfigurements, etc? By not condemning loudly the terrorists, many Acholi leaders were encouraging the wrong-doers. In fact, they would say: "let us kill civilians and Government would be blamed". Indeed, it would happen - the Government would be condemned and the killers would either be pampered or covered up. How many times did we hear the statements li ke: "It is the Government killing Acholis and blaming it on the rebels"? Weak state The third factor was a weak state, especially the phenomenon of a one-dimensional national defence force. Modern Armies are, at least, three-dimensional. A three-dimensional defence force covers land, sea (lakes) and air - i.e. Army, Airforce and navy. Owing to the turbulent history of Uganda, the building of a three dimensional National Defence force was never achieved. It is only recently that we are tackling this problem. By 1986 we had a very dedicated land force (infantry mainly). It was not, however, possible to quickly resolve the terrorism put out by Kony, supported by certain external forces, only relying on this for
Re: [Ugnet] Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179
Bwana Bamugambe: Who said that I look like your mama's Fool? If there is any support what so ever, I would rather such support to "kony" ( who ever he is) or any "rebel" out there who is capable of taking on Museveni why? Because . I hold Museveni and his NRM responsible for the mess in Northern and Eastern Uganda which has been going on for now 20 years.!! Matek [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Bwana-KUbwa Opoko, why are blaming M7 on suffering of Acholi people? You should give-up the killer Kony! lunderstand blood is thicker than water.Kony is leaving on Achooli blood l ,m sure...100%.M7 ...WILL NEVER WIN..Kony-war with- out total support of North. With same elements still helping Kony..killing ,raping, cuting Achoolilips and kidnapping children- sometimes l wonder if The Achooli Ghosts will blaming M7. So Bwana- Opoko do as THe Arrowboys---they are affectivesince i was akid my grandfather used tell storys of The Achooli worrierswant happend to them? CWA.JB.- Original Message -From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 8:17 amSubject: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179> Send Ugandanet mailing list submissions to> ugandanet@kym.net> > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit> http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > You can reach the person managing the list at> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific> than "Re: Contents of Ugandanet digest..."> > > Today's Topics:> > 1. UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps (Matek Opoko)> 2. Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s suffering..by Yoweri> Museveni (Matek Opoko)> > > ---> ---> > Message: 1> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 05:11:40 -0700 (PDT)> From: Matek Opoko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Subject: [Ugnet] UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps> To: ugandanet@kym.net, [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > > 'I Was Raped By Men Who Should Have Guarded Me'> > > Email This Page > > Print This Page > > Visit The Publisher's Site > > New Vision (Kampala)> > INTERVIEW> June 27, 2005 > Posted to the web June 27, 2005 > > Kampala > > STELLA was awakened by heavy footsteps treading outside her > makeshift shack. She realised very soon she may breath her last. > It was about 11:00pm. The moon brightly shone over Pabbo > internally displaced people's camp, Gulu. Her heart missed several > beats, then begun pounding in her ears.> > Stella prayed that God spares her children. In desperation, she > shook the child lying next to her. "Wake up," she whispered. > Unfortunately, the little girl woke up in a fright. She screamed. > On Stella's other side, the last born also begun crying.> > The presence of her husband in the dingy hut was of no use. The > father of her five children was dead drunk. She was even more > terrified when he begun snoring loudly. She wanted to weep! But > realised that would be at her children's detriment.> > Anguish seized her. She tried to calm herself, but could hardly > stop the violent shiver that shook her from head to toe. A heavy > sigh escaped her when the children stopped crying. Stella narrates...> > "I thought oh, God has heard me again. The footsteps outside had > stopped, but in my frightened state, I didn't know which side they > had gone. I stuffed my breast in the baby's mouth to prevent any > further outbursts.> > "As I leaned on the mud wattle wall, my heart sank when I heard > someone banging on the tin door," she narrates.> > "Funguwa mulango (open the door)," a man shouted.> > "Lubanga (God in Acholi)," I whispered, Lubanga! The door was made > of straightened and patched up tins of USA oil. It was weak, so > they easily kicked it open. All the children had woken up, but > their father continued snoring. I held my breast firmly in the > baby's mouth.> > "They were flashing torches, so glimpses of light fell on them. I > recognised one of them, but I couldn't say for fear that they > could kill my whole family. He was a popular soldier in the camp.> > "They were six men. They ordered me and my 10-year-old daughter to > go out.> > "The moon was bright. Some were speaking Kiswahili with a > Kinyankole accent. I knew they were UPDF soldiers not rebels.> > "My daughter tried to cry, but one of the soldiers kicked her and >
Fwd: Re: [Ugnet] Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179
Note: forwarded message attached.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com --- Begin Message --- Bwana Bamugambe: Who said that I look like your mama's Fool? If there is any support what so ever, I would rather such support to "kony" ( who ever he is) or any "rebel" out there who is capable of taking on Museveni why? Because . I hold Museveni and his NRM responsible for the mess in Northern and Eastern Uganda which has been going on for now 20 years.!! Matek [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Bwana-KUbwa Opoko, why are blaming M7 on suffering of Acholi people? You should give-up the killer Kony! lunderstand blood is thicker than water.Kony is leaving on Achooli blood l ,m sure...100%.M7 ...WILL NEVER WIN..Kony-war with- out total support of North. With same elements still helping Kony..killing ,raping, cuting Achoolilips and kidnapping children- sometimes l wonder if The Achooli Ghosts will blaming M7. So Bwana- Opoko do as THe Arrowboys---they are affectivesince i was akid my grandfather used tell storys of The Achooli worrierswant happend to them? CWA.JB.- Original Message -From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 8:17 amSubject: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179> Send Ugandanet mailing list submissions to> ugandanet@kym.net> > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit> http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > You can reach the person managing the list at> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific> than "Re: Contents of Ugandanet digest..."> > > Today's Topics:> > 1. UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps (Matek Opoko)> 2. Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s suffering..by Yoweri> Museveni (Matek Opoko)> > > ---> ---> > Message: 1> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 05:11:40 -0700 (PDT)> From: Matek Opoko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Subject: [Ugnet] UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps> To: ugandanet@kym.net, [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > > 'I Was Raped By Men Who Should Have Guarded Me'> > > Email This Page > > Print This Page > > Visit The Publisher's Site > > New Vision (Kampala)> > INTERVIEW> June 27, 2005 > Posted to the web June 27, 2005 > > Kampala > > STELLA was awakened by heavy footsteps treading outside her > makeshift shack. She realised very soon she may breath her last. > It was about 11:00pm. The moon brightly shone over Pabbo > internally displaced people's camp, Gulu. Her heart missed several > beats, then begun pounding in her ears.> > Stella prayed that God spares her children. In desperation, she > shook the child lying next to her. "Wake up," she whispered. > Unfortunately, the little girl woke up in a fright. She screamed. > On Stella's other side, the last born also begun crying.> > The presence of her husband in the dingy hut was of no use. The > father of her five children was dead drunk. She was even more > terrified when he begun snoring loudly. She wanted to weep! But > realised that would be at her children's detriment.> > Anguish seized her. She tried to calm herself, but could hardly > stop the violent shiver that shook her from head to toe. A heavy > sigh escaped her when the children stopped crying. Stella narrates...> > "I thought oh, God has heard me again. The footsteps outside had > stopped, but in my frightened state, I didn't know which side they > had gone. I stuffed my breast in the baby's mouth to prevent any > further outbursts.> > "As I leaned on the mud wattle wall, my heart sank when I heard > someone banging on the tin door," she narrates.> > "Funguwa mulango (open the door)," a man shouted.> > "Lubanga (God in Acholi)," I whispered, Lubanga! The door was made > of straightened and patched up tins of USA oil. It was weak, so > they easily kicked it open. All the children had woken up, but > their father continued snoring. I held my breast firmly in the > baby's mouth.> > "They were flashing torches, so glimpses of light fell on them. I > recognised one of them, but I couldn't say for fear that they > could kill my whole family. He was a popular soldier in the camp.> > "They were six men. They ordered me and my 10-year-old daughter to > go out.> > "The m
[Ugnet] British Prime Minister , Tony Blair, warns Museveni
Blair warns Uganda FRANK NYAKAIRU & HUSSEIN BOGERE KAMPALA British Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned that Uganda should forget about British aid if it strays from constitutional governance. Speaking at the monthly Downing Street press conference on Monday, Mr Blair was asked: Using the same standards that have been applied to Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), would Britain also firmly oppose Ugandas President Musevenis ambition to become a presidential monarch? This is in consideration of the fact that the UK is a leading foreign donor of 52% of the donor funded budget of Uganda, and that Uganda is also currently ranked as among the top five most corrupt dictatorships. The question came a day ahead of the first vote in the Ugandan Parliament on a Bill that, among others, proposes to remove presidential term limits from the Constitution. DictatorshipThe opposition and other critics argue that the proposal, pushed by Musevenis government, will introduce dictatorship. The ruling Movement says it will allow Ugandans the opportunity to vote for a leader of their choice, including Mr Museveni, whose last constitutional term expires next year. Blair said, Well, as you know, we have made it very clear that we will not support any move away from constitutional government, and I hope that does not occur in Uganda. And one thing is for sure, that at the G8 in 10 days time it will be made very clear that the additional help available for Africa is contingent upon good governance and proper democratic norms, and it is the position of Britain and the position of the other countries at the G8. I am sure that that is the only basis upon which aid will be increased. So it is up to countries then to decide their future. Blairs administration has been a strong critic of Mugabes government. At one time Britain led a campaign to ban Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth, citing its corruption-tainted government. Some British MPs have recently turned their guns on Uganda, accusing Musevenis government of dictatorship. ResponseBut Information Minister James Nsaba Buturo slammed the British MPs for relying on biased information from members of the opposition. They do not understand the situation on the ground and their source of information is not credible, Buturo told the Daily Monitor yesterday. He said Blair was right on tying aid to good democratic norms because it is Ugandas key objective. I cant agree with him more but that takes two to tango. It should be achieved by both us and our brothers in the opposition, he added. Britain recently withheld Shs17 billion in aid, saying not enough had been done to prepare a level playing field for a return to multipartyism. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] From underdogs, top dogs, to dirty dogs
From underdogs, top dogs, to dirty dogs June 29, 2005 Freedom fighters can die young and clean, or they can grow old and become monsters of corruption There was the National Resistance Movement. Then it was rebaptised the Movement. Now it's been changed into a party called National Resistance Movement-Organisation (NRM-O).Whoever thought of bringing back the word "Resistance" knew what he or she was doing. For we all clearly see that they are resisting further democratisation, and the sensible check of term limits that nearly all emerging economies and democracies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have adopted. Instead, we have created a President-for-Life.Thoughtful commentators say the political reversals in Uganda shouldn't have surprised us. It is what you might call the "curse of the freedom fighter" at work. No one has made this point better than the immensely enjoyable Mr Miles Kingston, columnist of The Independent of London. Curse of freedom fighterIf it is any comfort, Uganda is not alone. Let's leave it to Kingston, who writes:"One of the reasons why the sacking of Jakob Zuma, South Africa's deputy president, has been so uncomfortably received is that that [being entangled in corruption] is not how heroes are supposed to behave. Zuma, after all, was an old ANC champion who was in prison with Nelson Mandela. He was a principled underdog fighting for liberty against an oppressive regime."And it now seems that when he reached power, he fell from grace and was tempted by bribes and corruption everyone is saying what a shame it is, though Mr Zuma is still very popular, and nobody can quite believe it."Well, it may be a shame, but to say it is a shock or a surprise would be ridiculous. One of the things you learn in life, or that you should learn in life, is that when the underdog becomes the top dog, he changes character as fast as a lottery winner."The underdogs always get a good press. Freedom fighters are always heroes. The little guy oppressed by the big guy is always right. The Boers 100 years ago the Vietcong the Australian aboriginals the people of East Timor the indigenous North Americans [so-called Red Indians] the Jews in Germany all these in time have had the rose-tinted spectacle treatment. Quite right too we assumed that they were noble and virtuous, and patient and long-suffering, and that when they were liberated , they would go on being noble and virtuous and all the rest of it, and work out their own future, and put all the past wrongs right."When the poor down-trodden victim finally attains power, he becomes as corrupt and vicious as anyone else, and often as incompetent. The Africans threw off the colonial yoke and put on an African yoke of despotism and corruption. The Jews, freed from the Nazi boot, created their own racist nation and yes, if the poor downtrodden Palestinians got their chance fo r self-government, they would do the same The only tribe that gets a perpetually good press is the tribe that never gains its freedom." The IRA were once admired from afar, especially from the USA, as freedom fighters. Now they are seen as corrupt, and drug-runners, and thugs, and murderers And they haven't attained the power they were after! They have managed to go directly from being underdogs to being dirty without ever being top dogs."And that is why Nelson Mandela is regarded universally with awe. Freedom fighters normally have two courses of action. They can die young, unfulfilled, and untainted like Che Guevara, or they can become monsters of greed and corruption like Robert Mugabe. To grow old, and powerful, and still stay good and untainted, as Nelson Mandela has done, is almost superhuman. To fall like Zuma, is sad. But how very human".But, I would add, still so very unforgivable. Monsters?If Uganda's freedom fighters have become monsters, what do you say to those who argue that the majority in Parliament favour creating a President-for-Life; and to the real possibility that the majority might well elect President Museveni to the job?To them, I would recommend the wisdom of the great writer, Mark Twain. Many of us, for better or worse, read his |Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when we were little. But there are those who think Twain is great not because of his books, but his speeches, and pithy remarks. It was in his Notebook (1904) that he left us with one of the memorable political reflections of the 20th Century: "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform - or pause and reflect". Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED]__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Aid to Africa is not the answer
Aid to Africa is not the answerThe sight of Bob Geldof parading his millionaire ego here in London at Holy rood is more than I can bear. Yes, the plight of sub-Saharan Africa is desperate, but it will be cured by hard economic logic rather than pop-star emotion. Geldof thinks African poverty is the fault of the Western World. He thinks they are not giving Africa enough free financial aid - an extra £50 billion a year, or roughly the entire national income of Scotland, would be handy. He also wants the West to forgive all debt interest owed by African governments - I've seen numerous conflicting estimates, but we're in the billions-a-year category. And he is anxious that the G8 summit open their economies to African imports without expecting the same in return. This will be called "fair trade" he says. The whole point about borrowing is that you invest and end up richer than you started, even after paying back the loan. H ow come most of Africa is now poorer than when the loans began? Western aid has corrupted generations of African politicians as it is the fastest route to riches for the local elite. The problem is how to break the perpetual cycle of charity enfeebling sub-Saharan Africa, funding its civil wars, corrupting its politicians and making Africans hate the West for its patronising western ways.Geldof, please note. Paul Henry KayukiLondon Paul Henry..you no doubt raise valid points!__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Uganda Faces Aid Cuts Over Graft
Uganda Faces Aid Cuts Over Graft Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The East African (Nairobi) June 27, 2005 Posted to the web June 28, 2005 A. Mutumba-LuleNairobi The World Bank and IMF say that corruption in Uganda is the sixth most serious constraint to business Insufficient progress in addressing corruption in Uganda could lead to further cuts in donor support, the International Monetary Fund has warned. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and Britain say insufficient progress in tackling corruption is likely to cause reduced external support for the country's Ush3,799 billion ($2.1 billion) budget, 40 per cent of which was to be funded by development partners. IMF says that, though the 2005 survey by Transparency International showed that there was improvement in the country's score, the rating was no better than eight years ago. "Uganda's current rating is no better than eight years ago and it remains in the category characterised as rampant corruption," says the IMF in its most recent report on Uganda, obtained by The EastAfrican last week. A motor show in Kampala. Corruption is the sixth most serious constraint to business. Picture: Morgan Mbabazi Saying that corruption poses risks to the budget as procurement irregularities raise expenditure costs at both the national and local government level, the IMF - which has just completed yet another assessment of Uganda - notes that corruption in the country would impede private-sector growth and investment. The World Bank holds the same view. The World Bank's 2003 Investment Climate Assessment reported corruption in Uganda to be the sixth most serious constraint to business. According to the World Bank report, corruption in Uganda is "very serious" for foreign companies and exporters, which rank corruption as the second and third most serious obstacles respectively. Auditors Deloitte and Touche say in their 2005 East Africa Budget Insight that as the 2005/06 fiscal year commences, "There is an undeniable focus on the relation between the government and the donors. "There are expectations in some quarters that such a relationship may come under strain owing to contentious issues such as high levels of government spending and the uncertainty associated with the political anxiety over the forthcoming elections," said the firm. And the IMF report says, "Although the TI survey of global corruption perceptions shows an improvement in Uganda's corruption score for the third successive year in 2005, this is relative to a particularly 2001 poor rating." Large compensation payments and court awards to companies that supplied government recently charged against the national budget are suspected to have involved corruption, the IMF said. Many creditor countries and companies that had written off debts owed by Uganda were recently given court awards and their claims settled. Libya, another creditor, has been allowed to take over 49 per cent shares of the multibillion shilling National Housing and Construction Company. Meanwhile a number of anti-corruption measures have experienced setbacks. For example, inquiries into military exploitation of the Congo and helicopter procurement abuses appear stalled. The powers of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to enforce the leadership code, including compulsory asset declarations by top officials, have been weakened by adverse court decisions. Funding of anti-corruption agencies by the government has also been inadequate, the IMF said. Donors are also unhappy that the report on the inquiry into corruption in the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) was struck down by the courts following disagreements among members of the Commission of Inquiry headed by High Court judge Julia Sebutinde. URA, which is being supported by donors to improve revenue collections, and reduce the country's heavy dependence on foreign aid, has sacked over 230 staff after recommendations by IMF. The administration has also been streamlined, but more reforms are still needed. Though there has been concern over corruption from donors in the past, the IMF's concern this time is worrying, especially after Britain withheld $5 million over failure by the government to meet certain set conditions. At present, it is only high ranking government officials who have to declare their wealth. But even these declarations have not helped in curbing corruption because they are still secretive and the IGG only does random cross-checking of the declarations. For example, asset declarations by URA staff are never cross-checked, which casts doubt on the whole process. Relevant Links East Africa Economy, Business and Finance Crime and Corruption Uganda Aid and Assistance The IMF's position on corruption in Uganda comes at a time when the country is awaiting the outcome of a crucial assessment of its performance under the Fifth Review. The IMF is also currently preparing an ex-post-assessme
[Ugnet] Uganda Faces Aid Cuts Over Graft
Uganda Faces Aid Cuts Over Graft Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The East African (Nairobi) June 27, 2005 Posted to the web June 28, 2005 A. Mutumba-LuleNairobi The World Bank and IMF say that corruption in Uganda is the sixth most serious constraint to business Insufficient progress in addressing corruption in Uganda could lead to further cuts in donor support, the International Monetary Fund has warned. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and Britain say insufficient progress in tackling corruption is likely to cause reduced external support for the country's Ush3,799 billion ($2.1 billion) budget, 40 per cent of which was to be funded by development partners. IMF says that, though the 2005 survey by Transparency International showed that there was improvement in the country's score, the rating was no better than eight years ago. "Uganda's current rating is no better than eight years ago and it remains in the category characterised as rampant corruption," says the IMF in its most recent report on Uganda, obtained by The EastAfrican last week. A motor show in Kampala. Corruption is the sixth most serious constraint to business. Picture: Morgan Mbabazi Saying that corruption poses risks to the budget as procurement irregularities raise expenditure costs at both the national and local government level, the IMF - which has just completed yet another assessment of Uganda - notes that corruption in the country would impede private-sector growth and investment. The World Bank holds the same view. The World Bank's 2003 Investment Climate Assessment reported corruption in Uganda to be the sixth most serious constraint to business. According to the World Bank report, corruption in Uganda is "very serious" for foreign companies and exporters, which rank corruption as the second and third most serious obstacles respectively. Auditors Deloitte and Touche say in their 2005 East Africa Budget Insight that as the 2005/06 fiscal year commences, "There is an undeniable focus on the relation between the government and the donors. "There are expectations in some quarters that such a relationship may come under strain owing to contentious issues such as high levels of government spending and the uncertainty associated with the political anxiety over the forthcoming elections," said the firm. And the IMF report says, "Although the TI survey of global corruption perceptions shows an improvement in Uganda's corruption score for the third successive year in 2005, this is relative to a particularly 2001 poor rating." Large compensation payments and court awards to companies that supplied government recently charged against the national budget are suspected to have involved corruption, the IMF said. Many creditor countries and companies that had written off debts owed by Uganda were recently given court awards and their claims settled. Libya, another creditor, has been allowed to take over 49 per cent shares of the multibillion shilling National Housing and Construction Company. Meanwhile a number of anti-corruption measures have experienced setbacks. For example, inquiries into military exploitation of the Congo and helicopter procurement abuses appear stalled. The powers of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to enforce the leadership code, including compulsory asset declarations by top officials, have been weakened by adverse court decisions. Funding of anti-corruption agencies by the government has also been inadequate, the IMF said. Donors are also unhappy that the report on the inquiry into corruption in the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) was struck down by the courts following disagreements among members of the Commission of Inquiry headed by High Court judge Julia Sebutinde. URA, which is being supported by donors to improve revenue collections, and reduce the country's heavy dependence on foreign aid, has sacked over 230 staff after recommendations by IMF. The administration has also been streamlined, but more reforms are still needed. Though there has been concern over corruption from donors in the past, the IMF's concern this time is worrying, especially after Britain withheld $5 million over failure by the government to meet certain set conditions. At present, it is only high ranking government officials who have to declare their wealth. But even these declarations have not helped in curbing corruption because they are still secretive and the IGG only does random cross-checking of the declarations. For example, asset declarations by URA staff are never cross-checked, which casts doubt on the whole process. Relevant Links East Africa Economy, Business and Finance Crime and Corruption Uganda Aid and Assistance The IMF's position on corruption in Uganda comes at a time when the country is awaiting the outcome of a crucial assessment of its performance under the Fifth Review. The IMF is also currently preparing an ex-post-assessm
[Ugnet] MPs Must Stop the Gun Talk
Fellow Citizens: It does appear that the so called MPs have put their interest,( and rightly so since most were compromised by Museveni's NRM dictatorship...remember the 5,000 dollar bonus given to MP who in return would vote for Museveni's third term) before the interest of the nation. As I write the MP's have voted to allowed Museveni proceed with his quest for the "third term" how much more can one become a traitor to the nation? Now that the did is done this dishonorable MP's can only wait for the repercussions to their actions. Matek MPs Must Stop the Gun Talk Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The East African (Nairobi) EDITORIALJune 27, 2005 Posted to the web June 28, 2005 Nairobi THE DEBATE ON AMENDING THE 1995 CONstitution to remove presidential term limits took on a heated tone last week, with some opposition legislators threatening to take up arms to fight government if the limits were removed and President Museveni allowed to run for a third term in 2006, two decades after he took power. For 10 years, Museveni ruled as unelected president, then organised elections in 1996, which he won with a landslide. In 2001, he organised another election and said the next five years would be his last in office. When the debate resumes in parliament this week, we hope that MPs will adopt a more sober and constructive approach, putting Uganda's long term interests and those of future generations first. There is no call to threaten armed insurrection, from which Uganda has suffered irreplaceable loss of life, limb and property.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Bush: Bloodshed in Iraq Is 'Worth It'
I give up folks...were is a KENNEDY when you need one? Matek Bush: Bloodshed in Iraq Is 'Worth It' By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer 52 minutes ago FORT BRAGG, N.C. - President Bush on Tuesday appealed for the nation's patience for "difficult and dangerous" work ahead in Iraq, hoping a backdrop of U.S. troops and a reminder of Iraq's revived sovereignty would help him reclaim control of an issue that has eroded his popularity. In an evening address at an Army base that has 9,300 troops in Iraq, Bush was acknowledging the toll of the 27-month-old war. At the same time, he aimed to persuade skeptical Americans that his strategy for victory needed only time not any changes to be successful. "Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying and the suffering is real," Bush said, according to excerpts released ahead of time by the White House. "It is worth it." It was a tricky balancing act, believed necessary by White House advisers who have seen persistent insurgent attacks eat into Americans' support for the war and for the president and increase discomfort among even Republicans on Capitol Hill. Bush marked the first anniversary of the transfer of power from the U.S.-led coalition to Iraq's interim government by focusing on progress in the past year and promising success against the still-potent insurgency. "The terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom," he said in a speech that was to be attended by 750 soldiers and airmen. "They will fail." He was rejecting calls to set a timetable for withdrawing 135,000 American troops. Instead, he argued for maintaining the present two-pronged strategy: equipping Iraqi security forces to take over the anti-insurgency fight and helping Iraqi political leaders in the transition to a permanent democratic government. "The work in Iraq is difficult and dangerous," the president said. "We have more work to do and there will be tough moments that test America's resolve." Bush's repeated acknowledgment of death and difficulty came less than a month after Vice President Dick Cheney proclaimed the Iraq insurgency "in the last throes." Still, the president's overriding message was one of optimism. "The American people do not falter under threat, and we will not allow our future to be determined by car bombers and assassins," he said. Democrats and other critics said the country needed more specifics than Bush has been giving. "We just don't have a clue what the criteria for success is," said Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), D-Pa., a Vietnam combat veteran. "People are still willing to give the president time if he would just level with them." Outside the base, opponents of the war planned protests. The liberal group MoveOn.org also unveiled television advertisements that call the Iraq war "a quagmire." "We got in the wrong way. Let's get out the right way," say the ads running in several contested congressional districts. Bush reserved a few hours before the speech for a private session to console the loved ones of fallen soldiers. Though he often holds these meetings when visiting military bases, the White House's decision to schedule time with 33 grieving families on the same day as the major address underscored the president's plan to offer a more somber assessment than usual of a war that has killed over 1,740 U.S. military personnel and 12,000 Iraqi civilians. The Iraqis face the next milestone in their rocky transition to democracy on Aug. 15, the deadline to produce a draft of a new constitution. Earlier Tuesday, a suicide car bomb attack was a reminder of the difficulties. An influential Shiite member of parliament, his son and two bodyguards were killed. A recent Associated Press/Ipsos poll found a majority of Americans now think the war was a mistake. Public patience is even being tested here in military-friendly North Carolina, where signs along the streets of nearby Fayetteville show steadfast support of the armed forces. In the past year, 100 troops from the several North Carolina bases have died in the war, trailing only the toll from California, according to an Associated Press analysis. A new statewide poll released Tuesday showed that, for the first time, more North Carolinians think the war is not worthwhile than think it is. "We told them if they established a government we would back off," said 26-year-old Carrie Dimmick. "They established a government, but we're still there. I feel like the war is doing more harm than good." ___ On the Net: White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov Fort Bragg: http://www.bragg.army.mil__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by I
[Ugnet] SA Will Support Military Action Against Instigators of Conflicts
"South Africa and Africa would not prosper if there are conflicts in the continent. We cannot achieve the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad) goals if there is continued instability in the continent. "It is within this context that South Africa assumes a leading role in resolving conflicts in Africa," he said." Citizens: Is South Africa is genuinely interested in resolving conflicts in Africa, It must , as a matter of priority deal with the those who create the conflicts to begin with! which means SA should deal with Dictator Yoweri museveni of Uganda . Second, It must address Hutu Concerns which have pushed the Hutu to the extreme to the extent that most Hutus must now pick up arms to fight for their rights. If SA fails to do so, then they are simply engaged in rhetoric..they are not seriously seeking to address Issues which have lead to conflicts. ..This then is my take! Matek. == SA Will Support Military Action Against Instigators of Conflicts Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site BuaNews (Tshwane) June 28, 2005 Posted to the web June 28, 2005 Clive Ndou South Africa will support military action against Rwanda's former Hutu dominated militia - Interahamwe - should the armed forces derail the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In addition, the African Union Peace and Security Council recommends armed action to neutralise the militia, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said today. Speaking during the Peace and Security Cluster briefing in Pretoria this morning, Mr Pahad said prospects of peace in the DRC were poor unless the Interahamwe problem was addressed. Every two months, the clusters of government report to Cabinet on the implementation of government's Programme of Action after which Ministers brief the media and the Programme on Government Online http://www.gov.za is updated. "If you don't deal with the Interahamwe you will never achieve peace in the DRC. If political action does not work it would be important to take military action, and South Africa would fully support such an action," he said. He added that South Africa had been working very closely with the people of the DRC in ensuring peace in the troubled country, and that the 30 October elections were held in a stable political environment. "Before any election could take place, the demobilisation of former rebel movements, including Interahamwe, is crucial. However, the withdrawal of the militia from the peace process is causing a delay in the demobilisation process and is also creating an unstable political climate," he said On the political situation in Ivory Coast, Mr Pahad said South Africa was asked by the African Union to try to unblock the peace process in that country. "We will review the Pretoria Agreement and identify the stumbling blocks in the implementation of the agreement. "After the Pretoria Agreement which was signed by the warring sides, we have seen no progress in the implementation of the peace process. We would like to see the legislative process completed and the disarmament process begin," he said. In this regard, President Thabo is hosting another round of peace talks in Pretoria today with key leaders of Cote D'Ivoire. Mr Pahad said while South Africa would do its best to ensure an amicable solution to that country's problems, strong measures could be taken against those standing in the way of peace. "The possibility of sanctions to anyone obstructing the Pretoria Agreement is a reality," he said. Mr Pahad said South Africa would continue its conflict resolution mission in the continent's hot spots. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council on Friday extended the UN operation in the Ivory Coast until 24 January 2006, following the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1609 (2005). Relevant Links Central Africa Southern Africa Congo-Kinshasa Civil War and Communal Conflict Arms and Military Affairs South Africa Conflict, Peace and Security Rwanda "South Africa and Africa would not prosper if there are conflicts in the continent. We cannot achieve the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad) goals if there is continued instability in the continent. "It is within this context that South Africa assumes a leading role in resolving conflicts in Africa," he said.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] DRC: Ituri Fighting May Have Displaced Thousands
DRC: Ituri Fighting May Have Displaced Thousands Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site UN Integrated Regional Information Networks June 28, 2005 Posted to the web June 28, 2005 Bunia Thousands of Congolese civilians may have been displaced by recent fighting between UN peacekeeping troops and local militiamen in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN mission's public information officer, Mohammad Abdoul Wahab, said on Tuesday. A Medu resident who arrived in Bunia late Monday, Jean Mbafele, said: "We all fled into the bush. Only people who participated in the fighting stayed in the village." They escaped as an eight-hour battle raged around their village of Medu, 25 km south of Bunia, in Ituri District, Orientale Province. Medu has a population of some 4,000. The UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the area has not yet been able to access the humanitarian situation, its information officer in the area, Idrissa Conteh, said on Tuesday. He said the humanitarian community had ceased activity in the area since 20 June and only restarted on Sunday. During Monday's fighting, UN Bangladeshi and Indian troops fought more than 1,000 militiamen of the Fronts des nationalistes et intégrationnistes who were armed with mortars, rockets and grenades, Wahab said. The UN used two MI-25 combat helicopters in the operation and reinforced its troops with Pakistanis. The UN troops repelled the militiamen who tried to return again in the afternoon, Wahab said. UN troops are continuing to patrol the area and, Wahab said, Medu was now calm. Relevant Links Central Africa Congo-Kinshasa Arms and Military Affairs Civil War and Communal Conflict Refugees and Displacement Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution "All the militiamen have fled and abandoned the village," he said. [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ] Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Fwd: SA Will Support Military Action Against Instigators of Conflicts
Note: forwarded message attached. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football --- Begin Message --- "South Africa and Africa would not prosper if there are conflicts in the continent. We cannot achieve the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad) goals if there is continued instability in the continent. "It is within this context that South Africa assumes a leading role in resolving conflicts in Africa," he said." Citizens: Is South Africa is genuinely interested in resolving conflicts in Africa, It must , as a matter of priority deal with the those who create the conflicts to begin with! which means SA should deal with Dictator Yoweri museveni of Uganda . Second, It must address Hutu Concerns which have pushed the Hutu to the extreme to the extent that most Hutus must now pick up arms to fight for their rights. If SA fails to do so, then they are simply engaged in rhetoric..they are not seriously seeking to address Issues which have lead to conflicts. ..This then is my take! Matek. == SA Will Support Military Action Against Instigators of Conflicts Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site BuaNews (Tshwane) June 28, 2005 Posted to the web June 28, 2005 Clive Ndou South Africa will support military action against Rwanda's former Hutu dominated militia - Interahamwe - should the armed forces derail the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In addition, the African Union Peace and Security Council recommends armed action to neutralise the militia, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said today. Speaking during the Peace and Security Cluster briefing in Pretoria this morning, Mr Pahad said prospects of peace in the DRC were poor unless the Interahamwe problem was addressed. Every two months, the clusters of government report to Cabinet on the implementation of government's Programme of Action after which Ministers brief the media and the Programme on Government Online http://www.gov.za is updated. "If you don't deal with the Interahamwe you will never achieve peace in the DRC. If political action does not work it would be important to take military action, and South Africa would fully support such an action," he said. He added that South Africa had been working very closely with the people of the DRC in ensuring peace in the troubled country, and that the 30 October elections were held in a stable political environment. "Before any election could take place, the demobilisation of former rebel movements, including Interahamwe, is crucial. However, the withdrawal of the militia from the peace process is causing a delay in the demobilisation process and is also creating an unstable political climate," he said On the political situation in Ivory Coast, Mr Pahad said South Africa was asked by the African Union to try to unblock the peace process in that country. "We will review the Pretoria Agreement and identify the stumbling blocks in the implementation of the agreement. "After the Pretoria Agreement which was signed by the warring sides, we have seen no progress in the implementation of the peace process. We would like to see the legislative process completed and the disarmament process begin," he said. In this regard, President Thabo is hosting another round of peace talks in Pretoria today with key leaders of Cote D'Ivoire. Mr Pahad said while South Africa would do its best to ensure an amicable solution to that country's problems, strong measures could be taken against those standing in the way of peace. "The possibility of sanctions to anyone obstructing the Pretoria Agreement is a reality," he said. Mr Pahad said South Africa would continue its conflict resolution mission in the continent's hot spots. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council on Friday extended the UN operation in the Ivory Coast until 24 January 2006, following the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1609 (2005). Relevant Links Central Africa Southern Africa Congo-Kinshasa Civil War and Communal Conflict Arms and Military Affairs South Africa Conflict, Peace and Security Rwanda "South Africa and Africa would not prosper if there are conflicts in the continent. We cannot achieve the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad) goals if there is continued instability in the continent. "It is within this context that South Africa assumes a leading role in resolving conflicts in Africa," he said.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com --- End Message --- ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] POLICE ARREST BWESIGYE FDC SUPPORTER
Reuters - Tue Jun 28, 3:07 PM ET A supporter of exiled Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besugye is arrested by a riot policeman during a protest outside Uganda's parliament building in Kampala, June 28, 2005 against plans to scrap presidential term limits that many critics say are aimed at making President Yoweri Museveni president-for-life. Uganda's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to scrap presidential term limits, giving the clearest indication yet it would support a campaign to keep former rebel Yoweri Museveni in power. REUTERS/James Akena Email Photo Print Photo __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] POLICE ARREST BWESIGYE FDC SUPPORTER
Reuters - Tue Jun 28, 3:07 PM ET A supporter of exiled Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besugye is arrested by a riot policeman during a protest outside Uganda's parliament building in Kampala, June 28, 2005 against plans to scrap presidential term limits that many critics say are aimed at making President Yoweri Museveni president-for-life. Uganda's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to scrap presidential term limits, giving the clearest indication yet it would support a campaign to keep former rebel Yoweri Museveni in power. REUTERS/James Akena Email Photo Print Photo Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Uganda police fire tear gas at protesters
Uganda police fire tear gas at protesters 28 Jun 2005 10:49:55 GMTSource: Reuters Background CRISIS PROFILE: Whats going on in Congo? MORE By Daniel Wallis KAMPALA, June 28 (Reuters) - Ugandan police fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse scores of demonstrators protesting a parliamentary move critics say is designed to install Yoweri Museveni as president for life. Opposition parties vowed to protest in the capital Kampala against the vote by MPs on scrapping presidential term limits, which most Ugandans expect to clear the way for Museveni to stand for re-election in March 2006. A group of about 60 demonstrators chanting and waving placards fled as heavily armed riot police arrived in front of parliament in pickup trucks and an armoured anti-riot vehicle which fired clouds of tear gas out of jets on its sides. A few protesters threw rocks at police, and some reappeared at the scene before being chased away again by blasts of tear gas. The demonstration had not been approved by police, one of whom ordered a Reuters journalist not to take photographs. "We are protesting against manipulation and corruption," said Francis Mwijinge, a youth organiser for the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), before police arrived. "African countries have been dragged behind because of dictatorship and greed for power. Why should we abrogate all our gains for one person?" Economic growth, market reforms and the continent's most successful campaign against HIV/AIDS have led Museveni to be held up as a new generation of African leader, and his country as an example of development south of the Sahara. But Uganda's star is slowly waning amid reports of political repression, human rights abuses and high-level corruption. Britain cut $9.5 million in aid in March over delays in the return to multiparty politics after two decades of Museveni's one-party Movement system. Donors privately oppose lifting term limits, saying Museveni has a golden chance to become Uganda's first leader to hand over power peacefully. STRIFE FORESEEN The Forum for Democratic Change believed regular presidential elections and term limits are necessary for stability in Uganda, spokesman Wafula Oguttu said. "This (vote) may cause serious strife and political turmoil, both through the transition period and thereafter," he told Reuters. Meanwhile, they are pushing for a "yes" vote when Ugandans are asked in a referendum next month whether long-standing restrictions on political parties should be lifted. Museveni, who has yet to say whether he wants more time in State House, is due to step down in March after serving two 5-year terms under a constitution written in 1995, nine years after his guerrilla forces seized control and he became president. Many Ugandans, particularly in urban areas, reject claims by Museveni's supporters' that the 61-year-old general is the only candidate with a clear vision for the country. But in rural areas, many say lives have improved immensely since he ended the country's darkest days under dictators like Milton Obote and Idi Amin. AlertNet news is provided by Newsdesk NGO Latest Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Democracy NRM Style
Reuters - Tue Jun 28, 2:56 PM ET A supporter of exiled Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besugye is arrested by riot police during a protest outside Uganda's parliament building in Kampala June 28, 2005 against plans to scrap presidential term limits that many critics say are aimed at making President Yoweri Museveni president-for-life. Uganda's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to scrap presidential term limits, giving the clearest indication yet it would support a campaign to keep former rebel Yoweri Museveni in power. REUTERS/James Akena Email Photo Print Photo Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Life in many of the NRM created IDP camps in Northern Uganda
A displaced Ugandan boy carries his brother as they go to a construction site near their Kalongo IDP camp for Internally Displaced Persons in Pader district of northern Uganda June 21, 2005. Many children in this camp are not going to school and are being used as domestic workers. REUTERS/Hudson Apunyo Reuters - Jun 23 6:02 PM__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
Re: [Ugnet] Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 198
Bwamugambwe! Your man is on "Checkmate"!! he just does not Know it. You will know what "checkMate" is if you have ever played chess!! Matek[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: OTYE-Mabe ..Matek, Maama could not afford a fool like you with no tears of your -own Achooli people, being killed by Kony- still dreamingthat one day Kony shall rule Uganda.STOP BLAMING.M7.did not start the war.If mr. Kony was smart like you, the war should go to RWAKITURA...TO SAVE ABAANA BA .CHOOLI .So that mathematically you can balance. CWA.JB- Original Message -From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 8:42 pmSubject: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 198Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 03:42:33 +0300 (EAT)From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 198To: ugandanet@kym.netSend Ugandanet mailing list submissions tougandanet@kym.netTo subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visithttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanetor, via email, send a m essage with subject or body 'help' to[EMAIL PROTECTED]You can reach the person managing the list at[EMAIL PROTECTED]When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specificthan "Re: Contents of Ugandanet digest..."Today's Topics:1. Re: Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179 (Edward Mulindwa)2. Re: Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179 (Edward Mulindwa)--Message: 1Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 20:36:43 -0400From: "Edward Mulindwa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Subject: Re: [Ugnet] Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179To: Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";reply-type=originalUgandansIt is so frustrating to see that Museveni actually survives on uncritical thinkers like Bamugambwa, but you know I have been following Uganda's politics for some time now, Ugandans just do not get it.EmTorontoThe Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"Groupe de communication Mulindwas"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"- Original Message - From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>To: Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 10:21 AMSubject: [Ugnet] Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179> Bwana-KUbwa Opoko, why are blaming M7 on suffering of Acholi people? You > should give-up the killer Kony! lunderstand blood is thicker than > water.Kony is leaving on Achooli blood l ,m sure...100%.M7 ...WILL > NEVER WIN..Kony-war with- out total support of North. With same elements > still helping Kony..killing ,raping, cuting Achoolilips and > kidnapping children- sometimes l wonder if The Achooli Ghosts will blaming > M7. So Bwana- Opoko do as THe Arrowboys---they are affectivesince > i was akid my grandfather used tell storys of The Achooli worrierswant > happend to them? CWA.JB.>> - Original Message -> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 8:17 am> Subject: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179>>> Send Ugandanet mailing list submissions to>> ugandanet@kym.net>>>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit>> http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>>>> You can reach the person managing the list at>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>>>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific>> than "Re: Contents of Ugandanet digest...">>>>& gt;> Today's Topics:>>>> 1. UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps (Matek Opoko)>> 2. Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s suffering..by Yoweri>> Museveni (Matek Opoko)>>>>>> --->> --->>>> Message: 1>> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 05:11:40 -0700 (PDT)>> From: Matek Opoko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>> Subject: [Ugnet] UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps>> To: ugandanet@kym.net, [EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1">>>>>> 'I Was Raped By Men Who Should Have Guarded Me'>>>>>> Email This Page>>>> Print This Page>>>> Visit The Publisher's Site>>>> New Vision (Kampala)>>>> INTERVIEW>> June 27, 2005>> Posted to the web June 27, 2005>>>> Kampala>>>> STELLA was awakened by heavy footsteps treading outside her>> makeshift shack. She realised very soon she may breath her last.>> It was about 11:00pm. The moon brightly shone over Pabbo>> internally
[Ugnet] Uganda: Northern Rebels Undermining IDP Coping Mechanisms - UN
Uganda: Northern Rebels Undermining IDP Coping Mechanisms - UN Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site UN Integrated Regional Information Networks June 30, 2005 Posted to the web June 30, 2005 Kampala Rebel activity in northern Uganda continues to undermine the coping mechanisms of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region, leaving them entirely dependent on humanitarian aid, the UN said on Thursday. Attacks by the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in southern Sudan had also led to an increase in the number of refugees fleeing to northern Uganda. This had worsened the humanitarian crisis, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in its Mid-Year Review of the 2005 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal (CAP). "The high level of insecurity continues to severely constrain the IDPs' coping strategies, leaving them with no option but to depend on humanitarian assistance, especially food," Daouda Toure, the UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda, said during the review in the capital, Kampala. "The persistent insecure environment, combined with the rising number of vulnerable refugees due to LRA activities in Adjumani (district of northwestern Uganda] and southern Sudan, has resulted in an increase in the number of food beneficiaries," he added. The review indicated that the additional needs had pushed the budget for humanitarian activities from US $152 at the time of the CAP launch in November 2004, to $188 million. Donors had so far provided $87 million. Ugandan government troops have, for the past 19 years, been engaged in warfare with the LRA, a brutal group that frequently targets civilians for attacks and abductions. The conflict has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced an estimated 1.6 million, who now live in crowded IDP camps unable to cultivate their fields. "Last November, there was great hope for the signing of the peace agreement and an end to the conflict; sadly, these hopes were dashed," said Liz Higgins, an Irish diplomat who spoke on behalf of donors and called for fresh efforts to end the conflict. The CAP document noted that the defection of the LRA's top negotiator, Brig Sam Kolo, in February and his replacement with the LRA's second in command, Vincent Otti, had undermined the peace talks. "In March, the LRA resumed their violent activities in [northern Uganda's] Acholi and Adjumani districts and in southern Sudan from where, as a result, waves of refugees fled into Uganda," it said. Drought in northeastern Uganda had also made an estimated 574,000 people dependent of food aid provided by the UN World Food Programme (WFP). According to the CAP review, in the food sector alone, WFP required $54 million to cover the food needs of the affected population up to December. In the non-food sectors - health, education, water and sanitation, shelter and household items and protection - service provision had continued to be grossly inadequate and congestion in the camps had aggravated the crisis. The review indicated that between 30,000 and 40,000 children, known as "night commuters", continued to move to the relative safety of towns every night, fleeing possible LRA abduction in their villages. "We need to find out why these children are still commuting even when security in some areas has improved," Eliane Duthoit, head of the OCHA office in Kampala, said during the launch. Other challenges that needed attention before the end of 2005 included agriculture, because IDPs had limited access to land. The UN, the government and other agencies intended to expand the provision of agricultural inputs, including food and cash crop seeds. The programme would also support chronically drought-affected areas by strengthening household incomes in a bid to empower women in those areas through training in better farming methods. Other priority areas included general health and HIV/AIDS issues. Preliminary findings of a recent Ministry of Health HIV/AIDS sero-behavioural survey showed a 9 percent prevalence rate for the northern region, compared to 4.2 percent in neighbouring regions and 7 percent nationally. Relevant Links East Africa Aid and Assistance Uganda Refugees and Displacement Civil War and Communal Conflict Arms and Military Affairs Acute water shortages were prevalent in the camps with a person able to access only 4.1 litres instead of the recommended 15 litres per person per day, especially in camps with populations exceeding 10,000 people, according to the review document. [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.i
[Ugnet] UPC Raps 3rd Term Adherents
They will surely raise "embatta in the villages ... let them still fool around! We suggest that all such MP's should and must be banned from Uganda politics for NOT less then 15 years! Should Museveni go! Surely the future of the Republic cannot be determined by men and women who lack Principle and think first in terms of the Stomach other then the Interest of the Nation. Matek UPC Raps 3rd Term Adherents Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) June 30, 2005 Posted to the web June 30, 2005 Charles ArikoKampala The Uganda People's Congress (UPC) has condemned the MPs who voted in favour of lifting the presidential term limits, popularly known as Kisanja. During voting to amend the Constitution on Tuesday, 230 MPs supported Constitutional Amendment No.3, which paves way for the lifting of term limits. Fifty MPs voted against it, while one abstained. Badru Wegulo, the UPC Constitutional Steering Commission (CSC) chairperson, yesterday said the 230 MPs surrendered to greed when they opted to support the amendment. Relevant Links East Africa Legal and Judicial Affairs Uganda "UPC congratulates the 51 MPs who voted in accordance with their conscience and condemns the 230 MPs who surrendered to greed. UPC warns that history will judge the greedy MPs more harshly for entrenching a one man's rule and their families will stand to regret," Wegulo said at the UPC weekly press conference at Uganda House yesterday. The deputy chairperson of the CSC, Livingstone Okello Okello, said the NRM government had perfected the art of 'bribing' MPs, most of whom voted in its favour on Tuesday. Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Kissinger regrets India comments
Kissinger regrets India comments Mr Kissinger now says Indira Gandhi was a 'great leader'Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has expressed regret over anti-India comments he made to former US President Richard Nixon. "The Indians are bastards," Mr Kissinger said shortly before the India-Pakistan war of 1971, it was revealed this week. Mr Kissinger also called former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi a "bitch" during the conversation. At the time, the US saw India as too close to the Soviet Union. The conversation was revealed in documents the US State Department declassified this month on US foreign policy of the time. According to the documents, President Nixon called Indira Gandhi an "old witch" in a conversation with Mr Kissinger. 'High regard' Mr Kissinger, 82, has now told a the private Indian television channel NDTV that his comments did not reflect American policy during the 1970s. "I regret that these words were used. I have extremely high regard for Mrs Gandhi as a statesman," he said. CONVERSATION: MAY 26, 1971 Kissinger: They are the most aggressive goddamn people around there Nixon: The Indians? Kissinger: Yeah Nixon: Sure "The fact that we were at cross purposes at that time was inherent in the situation but she was a great leader who did great things for her country." One key conversation transcript comes from the meeting between President Nixon and Mr Kissinger in the White House on 5 November 1971, shortly after a meeting with the visiting Indira Gandhi. "We really slobbered over the old witch," says President Nixon. Kissinger and Nixon opposed an independent Bangladesh "The Indians are bastards anyway," says Mr Kissinger. "They are starting a war there." He adds: "While she was a bitch, we got what we wanted too. She will not be able to go home and say that the United States didn't give her a warm reception and therefore in despair she's got to go to war. Mr Kissinger told NDTV that this was not a "formal conversation". "This was somebody letting off steam at the end of a meeting in which both President Nixon and I were emphasising that we had gone out of our way to treat Mrs Gandhi very cordially," he said. "There was disappointment at the results of the meeting. The language was Nixon language." Relations between India and US have strengthened since Mr Kissinger's days. Indira Gandhi sought stronger links with the Soviet Union"The US recognises that India is a global power, that is a strategic partner of the US on the big issues," Mr Kissinger said. However, President Nixon and Mr Kissinger's remarks have angered India's ruling Congress party. "It is shocking that the head of state of a country and his principal adviser chose to use such intemperate language against a popularly elected prime minister of another country," party spokesman Anand Sharma said. "These words have no relevance today... we hope the present US leader also rejects these remarks which were definitely in very poor taste." __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] 1,000 ADF Rebels Regroup in Ituri
At this point if the so called " ADF rebels" were to attack, it would be considered fair game. Museveni only understands the "language of the gun"..In fact Uganda cannot wait for the ADF to strike! We are tired of the bloody regime which has been oppressing us for years! Matek 1,000 ADF Rebels Regroup in Ituri Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) July 1, 2005 Posted to the web July 1, 2005 Frank NyakairuKampala Over 1,000 rebels of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have re-armed and regrouped in the northeastern Congolese Province of Ituri, the UPDF has said. The Defence and Military Spokesman, Lt. Col. Shaban Bantariza, said on Thursday that intelligence information was gathered in a joint aerial surveillance with the UN monitoring forces in Ituri. "The ADF rebels currently in Ituri are over 1,000 and that is bad enough as far as we are concerned," Bantariza said in a telephone interview. He was reacting to reports by aid workers and eyewitnesses in Ituri that former ADF fighters had been regrouping. Sources said the ADF rebels were joined by disgruntled forces of the defunct Armee' Patriotes Congolaise (APC) forces of former Congolese rebel leader Mbusa Nyamwisi. "ADF are regrouping and well armed. Recently, troops were added from the pool of frustrated APC soldiers. It seems they feel abandoned by Kinshasa," the source said. "They are already about 5,000 troops now and they are still hiding out in the areas of Kihingi, Kamango, Kombo, Bundiguya (Rwenzori)," the source said. Bantariza confirmed the areas where ADF bases are located. The joint aerial surveillance, which identified the ADF bases, was carried out in December 2004. "We flew with Monuc and pointed out these camps in December 2004, but up to now Monuc has done nothing," Bantariza said. He said UPDF forces earlier deployed on the western Congo border had been alerted after clashes resulting from militia forces resisting disarmament by the UN forces. "We are already on the western axis and we have sufficient troops to handle the situation," Bantariza said. This follows President Yoweri Museveni's letter to his Congolese counterpart in which he warned of a "vigorous reaction" if Uganda is attacked from any quarter. Bantariza said he did not know the letter but said Uganda would be right to "carry out hot pursuit using Chapter 50 of the UN." UN's Chapter 50 permits action with respect to threats to the peace of any country. Uganda was one of six neighbouring countries to send its army into Congo during a five-year war that was officially declared over in 2003 after the foreign armies withdrew and the belligerents joined a transitional government in Kinshasa. Relevant Links Central Africa East Africa Uganda Crime and Corruption Post-Conflict Challenges Congo-Kinshasa Arms and Military Affairs But Kinshasa's authority in the mineral-rich east of the country has repeatedly been undermined by Rwandan, Ugandan and Burundi armed groups who terrorise civilians despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers. Despite officially withdrawing their armies, both Uganda and Rwanda are suspected of continuing to meddle in the east, where both countries had huge economic interests during the war. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] 25 Battalion Commander Arrested, Says Defence Minister
The Lt is simply being used as a pawnThe big fish who actually ordered the beating of Acholi fellow citizens, is probably left scorch free!! Mucebeni thinks we Ugandans cannot figure this things out!! Matek 25 Battalion Commander Arrested, Says Defence Minister Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) July 1, 2005 Posted to the web July 1, 2005 Emma MutaizibwaParliament THE Minister of State for Defence, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, on Wednesday said 2nd Lt. Patrick Abaho, who ordered the beating of 23 civilians in an internally displaced people's camp in Pader district was under arrest. "It is true that civilians were beaten. Abaho is under arrest and investigations are in progress," Nankabirwa said in her ministerial statement to the plenary. Aruu County MP, Mr Odonga Otto, first brought the matter to light in Parliament last week. Otto told a press conference last Tuesday that civilians in Rackoko camp were on June 16 beaten on orders of the 25 Battalion commander. During the plenary, Otto demanded for a statement from the Ministry of Defence over the gross violation of human rights the army had meted on the civilians. Nankabirwa told the House that on the fateful day, Abaho and other soldiers heard noise and they went to the camp to ascertain whether rebels had infiltrated it. "However it was established that they were making noise to chase away devils and other medical ailments," she said. She said, "The officer advised the people to stop making noise because the enemy could easily exploit the commotion to attack the camp. Although some of them stopped, others refused." Nankabirwa said Abaho then allegedly ordered soldiers to break into the huts of those who were still making noise and beat them. "This was a wrong decision to take," Nankabirwa said, "and which the ministry of Defense neither condones nor supports." Among those badly injured were Ms Alice Abwol, Mr David Ogwang, Ms Lucy Akwero, Ms Night Abalo and Ms Doreen Akech. On the welfare of auxiliary forces, Nankabirwa said that their salaries had delayed because the ministry of Defense is still in the process of ascertaining the actual numbers on the ground. This caused uproar from MPs from the insurgency-hit areas in northern Uganda. "I don't why the government cannot take a serious step. If issue of LDU's is ignored, they will all run away from their work," Pader Woman MP Ms Santa Okot said. She said for six months the LDU's had not received their salaries. Kitgum Woman MP Ms Jane Akwero said the morale of auxiliary forces is low because they are badly treated. Relevant Links East Africa Human Rights Arms and Military Affairs Legal and Judicial Affairs Refugees and Displacement Crime and Corruption Uganda "When some auxiliary forces die at the battlefront they are not buried. "When they successfully defeat the LRA [Lords Resistance Army], the praise goes to the UPDF," Akwero said.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
Re: [Ugnet] Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 12, Issue 14
EM: Apparently it is Mucenbeni who decides when and how the war with "Kony" ends? His disciples like Bwamambwa ( something more of a fake name obviously) , is now projecting this Vision! MatekEdward Mulindwa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: BwambugaOn all we have seen in this war, is there some one called Konny fighting Uganda government?Please educate me.EmTorontoThe Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"Groupe de communication Mulindwas"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"- Original Message - From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>To: Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2005 1:59 AMSubject: [Ugnet] Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 12, Issue 14> Bull-Mavi.belongs to Mr. Kony and the EMPIRE OF CHOOLIS who dont get > it.., killings and cutting lips is done by Kony and Achooli helpers but > not ..M7. So its very simple...give-up KONY..THE WAR IS DONE. CWA.JB>> - Original Message -> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Frid ay, July 1, 2005 1:09 pm> Subject: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 12, Issue 14>>> Send Ugandanet mailing list submissions to>> ugandanet@kym.net>>>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit>> http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>>>> You can reach the person managing the list at>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>>>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific>> than "Re: Contents of Ugandanet digest...">>>>>> Today's Topics:>>>> 1. RE: Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s suffering..by>> Yoweri Museveni..brief comment by Matek (Okuto del Coli)>> 2. AND UGANDANS CONTINUE TO PRAY (Edward Mulindwa)>>>>>> --->> --->>>> Message: 1>> Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 06:17:45 -0400 (EDT)>> From: "Okuto del Coli" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>> Subject: RE: [Ugnet] Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s>> suffering..by Yoweri Museveni..brief comment by Matek>> To: ugandanet@kym.net, [EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii">>>>>> The way I understand it, there are some specifically targeted>> projectiles. Although the President uses "Acoli", the piece>> appears intended for all Ugandan tribes and indeed, fits all>> Ugandan tribes. If you slice off the "ACHOLI" and replace it with>> any other Ugandan tribes of your own( including Baganda) you will>> see that the puz zle matches. Even the Kayiira tragedy falls in>> there. I beg to resume in a couple of days with>> illustrations.RGDSNoc'l--- On Tue 06/28, Matek Opoko <>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote:From: Matek Opoko [mailto:>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]: ugandanet@kym.net,>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 05:25:28 -0700>> (PDT)Subject: [Ugnet] =?iso-8859->> 1?q?Tracing_the_roots_of_the_Acholi_people=92?= =?iso-8859->> 1?q?s_suffering=2E=2Eby_Yoweri_Museveni=2E=2Ebrief_comm?= =?iso->> 8859-1?q?ent_by_Matek?=>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fellow Citizens:>> Sometimes I am simply left with a sense of disbelieve when I read>> and try to comprehend Museveni's Bull Mavi... So Museveni really>> thinks this his stupid crap of is going to sell? The fellow is>> simply a deranged idiot who does not k now what he is talking>> about...I hear Acholi suffering is due to " colonial>> Manipulations".."Afro-Arab Conflict in Southern Sudan" Lack of>> eductation leading to mysticism." ...etc..etc.. The fact of the>> matter fellow citizens , is that Museveni createdthe mess in>> Northern and Eastern Uganda..and he is yet to pay for this>> when his bold becomes dek Quiddy!!!>> matek>> Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s suffering>>>> Yoweri K. Museveni>>>> GULU>> The suffering of our people in Acholi, in particular, as well as>> part of the North-Central part of Uganda in general, has been>> occasioned by six factors: colonial manipulation and distortions;>> poor leadership; a weak state; bad national politics; the Afro->> Arab conflict in the Sudan; and lack of education leading to>> mysticism.When the B ritish were colonizing Uganda, they used the>> method of playing one group against another (divide and rule).>> Fearing the strength of the Buganda they had expanded at the>> expense of Bunyoro, in particular, as well as other parts of>> Uganda in genera
[Ugnet] Uganda corruption alarms US
Uganda corruption alarms US CHARLES MWANGUHYA MPAGI KAMPALA The American government has called on Ugandan politicians to guard against corruption and political intolerance as the country amends the Constitution to open up its politics. "...we must be alert to some red warning lights that are flashing" as Uganda works to become more democratic, said Ambassador Jimmy Kolker on Friday evening to mark the 229th independence anniversary of the United States. "One warning signal is that in privatisations, procurement decisions and budget allocations, politicians too often put personal and political advantage, including outright greed, ahead of the national interest," said Mr Kolker at the function held at his home in Kololo and attended by ministers, MPs, and diplomats, among others. The Minister of Works, Housing and Communications, Mr John Nasasira, represented the government of Uganda."Another worrying sign is that violence, intimidation and threats remain a regular feature of Uganda's politics," the US ambassador said. "It is no secret who was responsible for the storming a Democratic Party meeting in Kabale, breaking up a PAFO rally in Jinja, preventing Members of Parliament from speaking in Pader and Gulu or destroying party cards in Luwero."Yet no one has been arrested or disciplined for these criminal acts." He said that the freedoms of _expression_, association and assembly are "sacred principles in any serious democracy. Until Ugandans exercising those rights are protected and those violating them are punished, Uganda's democracy will be incomplete." The ambassador also criticised government and opposition politicians for not telling voters the importance of pluralistic politics as they campaign to have people vote for a return to multipartyism in the July 28 referendum. He said that while the government was portraying the referendum on change of political system as "a chance to remove critical politicians from the institutions of government, so that their influence can be diminished further", the opposition is "pretending that Uganda's decision whether to adopt a multi-party system is of no consequence at all..." Added Kolker: "In America, we believe that political competition improves government policies and gives citizens more voice. Sadly, no one is providing that positive vision of Uganda's political future."The ambassador also took a gentle swipe at the prospect of President Museveni running for a third term next year once the Constitution has been amended to remove limits on the number of times a person can run for President. "I have been privileged to live in Uganda twice," said Kolker, who stayed at Makerere University for four months as a student in 1971 and returned as ambassador in 2003. "My country is not going to give me a third term. So this is my opportunity to urge Ugandans to put national interest ahead of personal advantage, respect for human rights and opinions of others, and to put to rest for good the nation's tragic history of political conflict." The ambassador, who said Uganda has been led well since 1986, also enumerated areas where his government is helping out: encouragement of the private sector and financial institutions, improving the quality of primary education, providing humanitarian assistance and upgrading professional skills of the military and police, among others. But the largely critical speech, reliable sources say, was first showed to Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa. Apparently, the ambassador wanted to say in public what he can say to the government in private. Recently, government officials, particularly Information Minister Nsaba Buturo, have been unhappy with diplomats for strongly criticising the Museveni administration in public instead of using the quiet diplomatic channels. In his response, Minister Nasasira hailed the US government support to Uganda especially in the areas of health, debt relief, financial aid as well as the opening of the American market to African goods under the African Growth and Opportunity Act or Agoa. He said Uganda is "determined more than ever before to accelerate the pace of democratisation and good governance by ensuring a smooth political transition and adherence to constitutionalism." Mr Nasasira also said the government was committed to fighting corruption. "The launching of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy this year by... the President is a clear sign of government's commitment at the highest level."__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Acholi Rally Support Against Kony
So the so called "Acholi leaders" decided to condemn "rebel Kony" and refuse to condemn the real culprit , notably Yoweri Museveni and his UPDF, who for years now continues to massacre our people? The people of Uganda say: the so called "Acholi leaders", are merely engaged in rhetorical hullabaloo .These leaders are as Irrelevant as Museveni 's MPs who voted for "Ekisanga" Matek Acholi Rally Support Against Kony Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) June 29, 2005 Posted to the web June 30, 2005 Hussein BogereKampala Leaders of Acholi have met and resolved to work with the government irrespective of their political differences to bring an end to the 19-year old northern war. Meeting at Paraa lodge, the leaders came up with a declaration and called on the government together with development partners to design, develop and implement a comprehensive programme for the reconstruction and development of the Acholi sub-region. "We Acholi leaders duly summoned by our Paramount Chief, His Highness Rwot David Onen Acana II, to come together to make a difference for peace in our land and here assembled at Paraa Safari Lodge from June 23-26, urge the government to design and implement socio-economic programmes, including livelihood systems for individual families and communities," the 26-point declaration states. They met President Yoweri Museveni on June 26. The sub-region, which consists of Gulu, Pader, and Kitgum, has suffered most because of Joseph Kony's rebellion that has claimed more than one million lives. The leaders committed themselves to participate in national and local politics without compromising the interests and rights of their people. "We commit ourselves to be mindful of public/political statements that may be misleading to the government and the LRA and likely to entrench mistrust." Relevant Links East Africa Uganda Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution Civil War and Communal Conflict The leaders also condemned the atrocities committed by the LRA. "We strongly and in no uncertain terms condemn the vicious acts of violence and indiscriminate killings by the LRA in Acholi and the neighbouring districts." At the same time they appreciated the peace initiative by the government through Ms Betty Bigombe. "We appreciate the efforts of the government, the UPDF, the initiatives of Ms Betty Bigombe, the Acholi Religious Leaders' Peace Initiative (ARLPI) and other initiatives to bring the conflict to an end. We recommit ourselves without any exception, to cooperate with and support the efforts," they said. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
Re: [Ugnet] The 5-Minute Briefing Democracy in Uganda
Interesting..Very interesting indeed! MatekOwor Kipenji <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: The 5-Minute Briefing Democracy in Uganda By Meera Selva Published: 01 July 2005 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article295956.ece Why are some Ugandans rioting? Their parliament voted in favour of a bill that would allow the President to stand for office as many times as he wishes which will allow the current leader, Yoweri Museveni, to be a president for life. The day before the MPs voted, police fired teargas at demonstrators who had gathered in the capital, Kampala, to protest against changing the current constitution rules that the president must step down after two terms. Has the international community taken a view? Africa has been plagued by "big men" politicians who seize power through a coup and then cling to office as long as they can while stealing public funds. Mr Museveni himself beat two such leaders Idi Amin and Milton Obote to come to power in 1986 and Ugandans had hoped that he would be different. During Mr Museveni's rule, Uganda has become the darling of the international community for its effective, far-thinking approach to fighting Aids and providing free primary education for all children. This vote has tarnished his image as a moderate leader committed to democracy. What can be done? Britain, which is a leading donor, has already cut £5m in aid to protest about the slow pace at which democracy is progressing in the country. Britain has also warned that the G8 will look at the political situation when it decides whether to increase aid to certain countries. International aid makes up more than half of Uganda's budget so such gestures are bound to hurt, though Mr Museveni has raised taxes to reduce the country's dependence on foreign donors. Uganda's MPs also need to take a firmer stand. Last October, a group of them was given an extra £5,000 each in "travel allowances". They denied that the money was a bribe, but every legislator who received the cash voted in favour of dropping the two-term limit. Why does Museveni want to stay in power? To be fair, he has not yet officially announced that he will run for a third term even if he is entitled to do so. But those close to him say he feels he is the only man who can end the country's ongoing war with the rebel Lord's Resistance Army in the north of the country. He is also convinced that Ugandan militias are hiding out in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, preparing to attack his government. Uganda itself has backed various militias in Congo's Ituri province, prolonging the country's civil war. Cynics point out that eastern Congo is rich in mineral wealth and Uganda is determined to retain some influence in the region at any cost. Why are some Ugandans rioting? Their parliament voted in favour of a bill that would allow the President to stand for office as many times as he wishes which will allow the current leader, Yoweri Museveni, to be a president for life. The day before the MPs voted, police fired teargas at demonstrators who had gathered in the capital, Kampala, to protest against changing the current constitution rules that the president must step down after two terms. Has the international community taken a view? Africa has been plagued by "big men" politicians who seize power through a coup and then cling to office as long as they can while stealing public funds. Mr Museveni himself beat two such leaders Idi Amin and Milton Obote to come to power in 1986 and Ugandans had hoped that he would be different. During Mr Museveni's rule, Uganda has become the darling of the international community for its effective, far-thinking approach to fighting Aids and providing free primary education for all children. This vote has tarnished his image as a moderate leader committed to democracy. What can be done? Britain, which is a leading donor, has already cut £5m in aid to protest about the slow pace at which democracy is progressing in the country. Britain has also warned that the G8 will look at the political situation when it decides whether to increase aid to certain countries. International aid makes up more than half of Uganda's budget so such gestures are bound to hurt, though Mr Museveni has raised taxes to reduce the country's dependence on foreign donors. Uganda's MPs also need to take a firmer stand. Last October, a group of them was given an extra £5,000 each in "travel allowances". They denied that the money was a bribe, but every legislator who received the cash voted in favour of dropping the two-term limit. Why does Museveni want to stay in power? To be fair, he has not yet officially announced that he will run for a third term even if he is entitled to do so. But those close to him say he feels he is the only man who can end the country's ongoing war with the rebel Lord's Resistance Army in the north of the country. He is also convinced that Ugandan militias are hiding out i
[Ugnet] Ugandan Leader Shows Signs of Backsliding
Ugandan Leader Shows Signs of Backsliding By CHRIS TOMLINSON, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 42 minutes ago NAIROBI, Kenya - Former President Clinton called him a new kind of African leader and international donors tripped over themselves in granting him cash and praise. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni said all the right things and brought stability to one of Africa's biggest problem countries. Now, however, the reformist appears to be setting himself up as president-for-life, his critics charge. As the leaders of the world eight most powerful countries meet in Gleneagles, Scotland to discuss aid to Africa, what is happening in Uganda casts doubt on other African leaders anxious to secure debt relief, a free trade and more aid. In return for these things, they promise good governance, which some see as term limits in countries best known for their dictators during the Cold War. On June 28, Uganda's parliament packed with Museveni supporters took the first step to reforming the constitution so that Museveni could run for a third term. Outside, police were using tear gar and a water cannon to disperse protesters. "The dictatorship has been ushered in, and this is a recipe for another round of disorder. People will now know that whoever is in power is there through manipulation," opposition legislator John Kawanga said. "We are going to see regression instead of progress." Museveni is not alone. A referendum in Chad recently lifted term limits there, allowing President Idriss Deby to remain in power. Congo's lawmakers adjusted the constitution to lower the minimum age to serve as president to allow former President Laurent Kabila's son to succeed him. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has struck a decidedly authoritarian stance and a recent crackdown on the opposition in Ethiopia has placed Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's democratic credentials in question. Eritrean President Isiayas Afwerki, who was also praised by Clinton along with Museveni and Meles, has thrown all independent journalists in jail, banned all but five religious groups and cracked down on dissent. But Museveni's defenders insist that what is happening in Uganda is democracy at work. "You cannot be a dictator when there is a system of government that involves parliament, consultations and debate," Information Minister James Nsaba Buturo said. "Museveni has not been staying in power out of his choice. People have always wanted him to keep on." The World Bank was one of Museveni's biggest supporters in the 1990s, as he eagerly adopted economic reforms and took a strong, early stand against HIV/AIDs and was the first to reverse the infection rate in an African country. In a confidential report obtained by The Associated Press, World Bank consultants concluded last year that Uganda "has increasingly resembled the single party systems that governed Africa from the late 1960s to the early 1990s." The researchers found that corruption at the highest levels was on the rise and threatened the Uganda's economic success story. While leaders such as South African President Thabo Mbeki declare an African renaissance, countries like Uganda appear to be backsliding. "The achievements of the first decade of the Museveni regime have been steadily eroded since the 1996 elections and especially since the elections of 2001," the report concluded. Museveni, who came to power by overthrowing a dictatorship in 1986, repeatedly promised during the 2001 elections that he would retire in 2006. Butaro said Thursday that times change. "It is normal for a person to change his or her mind," he said of Museveni. "It is only fools who do not change."__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Kenya joins cattle raid fight
So members of the International Community and Ugandans really want to believe that Dictator Yoweri Museveni's UPDF force captured 10,000 guns from the so called "Cattle rustlers"? Can some smart fellow out there ask the dictatorship,as to why there continues to be unrest in Karamojong and Teso land as a result of continued cattle rustling activity in in that area, if as Museveni's regime would like to assure us that the UPDF has managed to some how put a dent into this "cattle rustling activity" . Bottom likeKaguta is lying. He never captured any 10,000 guns... and the bigger fools are those who believe Yoweri Museveni's lies!!! Matek Kenya joins cattle raid fight KABONA ESIARA ENTEBBE GOVERNMENTS of Uganda and Kenya have agreed to coordinated simultaneous disarmament of armed pastoral communities in the two countries to end the cross border conflicts. This was proposed at a meeting between permanent secretaries and security personnel from Kenya and Uganda at Resort Beach Hotel Entebbe on Saturday.When Uganda started the disarmament exercise in Karamoja in 2003, some of the worriors crossed with their guns to Kenya. Cattle raiding and the fights for scarce water and grazing land among different cattle keeping groups in eastern Uganda and north western districts of Kenya have left hundreds of people displaced or killed in armed clashes. Kenyas Permanent Secretary for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, Mr Cyrus Gituai said, Today there are many of our citizens who are internally displaced and are living like refugees in their own country. Several schools have been vandalised or burnt down outright and learning disrupted as populations desert their villages with their children. No viable economic activity can be realised in such an environment of insecurity.Addressing a ministerial meeting on joint disarmament operations in Kenya and Uganda at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel Entebbe earlier on June 4, Kenyas Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, Mr John Michuki, said, Cattle rustling is a problem which goes beyond the Kenya and Uganda borders. I suggest perhaps we consider seeking assistance from the United Nations to recover arms (from rustlers). Michuki led a 15-man delegation while Uganda's Minister of Defence, Mr Amama Mbabazi, headed the Uganda delegation. The meeting noted that the problem of cattle rustling and small arms trafficking has extended to Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. "Security is a human right. Without security it is difficult to mould people in a country. We in Kenya take this matter (security) very important," Michuki said. Giving an overview of the disarmament in Uganda, Mbabazi said the exercise started in 2002, because the troops involved had to be diverted to fight rebels in northern Uganda. The Defence Ministry has said the army has recovered 10,000 guns from the rustlers since 2003. Kenya also started the disarmament exercise code-named "Dumisha Amani" in 2004 and some 1500 guns have been recovered Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Blair: Why we must act on Africa
Blair: Why we must act on Africa Sunday, July 3, 2005; Posted: 12:50 p.m. EDT (16:50 GMT) Blair: Thousands of children are dying every day from preventable diseases LONDON, England (CNN) -- CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour spoke to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair about his vision for Africa. The following is a full text of the interview: Amanpour: What motivates you to take up the cause of Africa? Blair: There's a strong moral reason because there are thousands of children dying every day from preventable diseases, there are millions of people who have died from circumstances that are preventable over the past few years, through conflict, through famine and through disease. And I think there is a very strong reason of self-interest as well. Africa's a, a continent of mixed religion and mixed races and if we end up with the continent continuing to get poorer and it's people devoid of any hope, I think that could cause us huge problems in the future. So I think there are reasons of self-interest but frankly, there's the moral causes are upper most in my mind. Amanpour: Do you mean a war on poverty could also be a war on terrorism? Blair: I think you've only got to look at the conditions that give rise to terrorism. Now sometimes people who become terrorists are people who are well-off, and for various reasons get drawn into terrorism and, and you can't really say it's their social conditions or poverty that's given rise to that. On the other hand, I think it's very clear as we saw with Afghanistan, if you have an immensely poor country without any economic infrastructure, without any hope that people have for the future then it's in those conditions that terrorists can recruit, and can train and if you look at Africa, you've got Christians and Muslims living side by side. It's important I think that for those reasons too, that we try and make progress in Africa. But, again, as I say, in a sense, I think they're always long term reasons of enlightenment, self-interest for doing these things. The most immediate reason is how many people die in circumstances of tragedy and preventing it. Amanpour: Urgent issue -- how quickly will you and other regions move to the 0.7 in terms of budget and foreign aid? Blair: Well, we're going to move over the next few years and by 2013 we will reach 0.7 but already we've been increasing our aid and trebled aid to Africa over the past few years. But other countries are doing the same now. And I'm reasonably hopeful at the summit that we will get a substantial increase in aid to Africa. Although, very much with emphasis on measures to root out corruption, for better governance, for conflict resolution as well as simply more money. Although for things like the killer diseases, HIV, AIDS and malaria, polio, TB and so on, the money plus the help in using the money is precisely what the countries need. Amanpour: How will you do it if the U.S. doesn't move up to 0.7? Blair: Well, I haven't actually asked the U.S. to get to 0.7, they're a long way from that now and frankly it would be a lot to expect the President suddenly to say right we're going to, I don't know what it would be, but you would multiply it by many, many times to get there. What I would ask him to do and hope that he would be able to do, is increase significantly the amount of aid that's going to Africa. I mean, he's trebled it already, I would like to see a, effectively a doubling of the amount of money that America is paying because I think that, tied to the proper ways of using that money, to things like education and dealing with the killer diseases, to water sanitation and infrastructure, it, the proof is there, it can make a real difference. Amanpour: Columnists being derisive, is this about Africa lifting the poor into the middle-class? Blair: I think the first thing it is about is stopping Africa from declining as a continent and things like HIV, AIDS are affecting the population to such an extent that some countries can't teach children properly because the teachers are dying of AIDS. Now, there's an urgent need to act in these areas that I think, that I hope is obvious to everybody. But we are not saying that AIDS is the only thing. Opening up markets and tide is important, too conflict resolution is important but we've got sitting on our desks for the past two years, a report from the United Nations that describes how we should build an African peace-keeping force and peace enforcing force that will allow the African union to go into various conflicts for example the Sudan and manage to keep people apart so the political process can work. There's also measures to do with building capacity in those countries, capacity for governors, proper judicial systems, proper commercial and legal systems. T here is a lot more than simply aid but without aid it is difficult to make progress. And, you know, it's important to look at some of the countries like Mozambique or Botswana a
[Ugnet] 'Fundamental Mistake'.
For minds and chess players...the move made by these so called MP's, was a move which pretty much tightened the noose arround Kaguta's neck, and that of the MP's, so to say, . Moreover, it is in favor of "game strategist" or "Strategic thinkers" that 1)Museveni and the NRM lairs 2) The NRM continues to make blunders! Matek NRM promise a disappointment Ugandans were promised a fundamental change in 1986 by President Museveni.The benefits of the 'promise' which I believe was universal included among others the 1995 Constitution.The constitution of the people which gave them the power, thus 'Power belongs to the people' and restored their hope much as it may have eroded away some freedoms. On the whole I would like to believe that it contains well thought out clauses and ideas like putting specific limit on the term of office for the president. What I don't remember and may not be sure about, is whether at any one moment during the Constituent Assembly period, did the Constituency Assembly Delegates line up in places like Mossa Courts to be given anything like the newly coined 'facilitation' which looks so much like open bribery. I would like to call upon Ugandans to believe with me and take note of the year 2005 as a year when our elected representatives presided over and ratified a 'Fundamental Mistake'. Musa NuwagabaRoberts Port - Liberia__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Ugandas only female heart expert dead
Our condolence to the family of the decease. Truly this was a lost to our nation state. My God rest her soul in eternal peace. Matek Ugandas only female heart expert dead EVELYN LIRRI & JANE NAFULA MULAGO SHE was one of the best right hand cardiologists we had. This is a shock to us.That was the reaction of Mr Robert Ssebunya, the chairman of board of directors of Uganda Heart Institute, to the death of Dr Cecilia Achadu, the only female cardiologist in the country. Dr Achadu, 33, died at Mulago Hospital on Saturday, an hour after undergoing surgery to deliver a baby girl. The cause of her death remains unclear, but hospital officials said yesterday that Achadu died at 6 p.m. She was having her first baby. The baby girl is alive and in good health. By 11 a.m. yesterday, staff at the Uganda Heart Institute, where Dr Achadu worked, were trying to get to grips with her death. Its very painful because it has come at a time when we are building and expanding the heart institute, Ssebunya said. He added that Achadus death was a great loss to the nation. Its not so easy to get highly trained people in this discipline (cardiology). Its a very specialised field. It doesnt take two days or one week, it takes 10 years to get a really good trained cardiologist and when you lose him/her, it takes you 10 years back and we have now moved 10 years backSsebunya added. The Acting Director for Mulago Hospital Dr Gideon Kikampikaho, and Dr Tom Mwambu, a consultant surgeon at the Institute, joined Mr Ssebunya to console Dr Achadus husband, who sat speechless in Mwambus office. Dr Mwambu said Dr Achadu went through a successful surgery but degenerated and died an hour later. Up to now we have not known the cause of her death but we are waiting for a detailed report from the pathologist, he said. Her body was by yesterday still in the hospital mortuary. Achadu, a Cardiology Senior Registrar at the Uganda Heart Institute at Mulago Hospital since 2003 was one of only four cardiologists in the country. Her death now leaves the country without a female cardiologist. A cardiologist is a doctor who specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases. Child bearing poses many risks in Uganda, with an estimated 500 women dying of childbirth-related complications for every 100,000 live births, according to the 2000/01Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. Common causes of maternal mortality are postpartum haemorrhage, lack of the most important medicament in obstetrics, and hypertension in pregnancy.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Rwanda Awaits Kabila's Commitment to Peace
Now that is another bull crap which Kabila is peddling . Kabila knows very well that his third rated " Army " cannot, in the real sense of the word, disarm anybody. So why engage in such nonsensical utterence, if not to play politics as usual! ..and perhaps decieve a few naive memebers of the International Community. Indeed how can Kabila's forces succeed where the so callled MONUC forces have failed? Matek Rwanda Awaits Kabila's Commitment to Peace Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The New Times (Kigali) July 1, 2005 Posted to the web July 1, 2005 James MunyanezaKigali The Rwandan government has said it is keenly awaiting the implementation of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila's commitment and directive to his army, to disarm all armed groups, among them the ex-FAR and Interahamwe militia, operating in the vast central African country. "We are waiting to see them implementing the decision," Presidential Envoy to the Great Lakes Region Richard Sezibera told The New Times Thursday. Dr. Sezibera said Rwanda would keep a close watch on the progress of Kinshasa's new move and, reiterated the need to have the militia disarmed and repatriated. President Kabila said Tuesday that he had ordered his army to begin, with immediate effect disarming thousands of foreign militia in the east of his country. "All armed foreign groups operating in the DRC, particularly in the east should be disarmed immediately," Kabila was quoted as telling diplomats in Kinshasa, at a meeting to evaluate the performance of his two-year transitional government. The DRC Secretary General in charge of Administrative Affairs, Ntumba Luaba, said, "The Congolese army was given these instructions and would operate with the logistic support of the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC)." But he declined to say when the troops would be deployed. Independent observers say Kabila's decision could have been sparked off by increased international pressure, particularly from the African Union and European Union, both of which have vowed to ensure that the Rwandan militia be disarmed and repatriated. The EU Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region Aldo Ajello, said last week in Kigali that the Union was in contact with Kinshasa on how to empower and the use Congolese army to disarm the militia. "Since a political option is not working, for the time being we are moving to the military option." The military option has three components: one is the Congolese army; we are trying to work with the Congolese army to form a certain number of Brigades that could be used for that purpose. We are thinking about six--two in Ituri, two in the north, and two in the South Kivu," Ajello told reporters Friday after meeting President Paul Kagame. He said the EU has "asked the Congolese government to make a strong announcement that these people are unacceptable anymore in Congo. They should leave Congo." Meanwhile the AU on Friday took a further step in setting pace for the commissioning of a continental force to disarm the militia--now called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)--by resolving to dispatch a military reconnaissance team to the eastern DRC to determine the financial and manpower needs for the exercise. Ambassador Sezibera, who attended last week's AU meeting in Addis Ababa, said the AU was committed to disarming the militia. "The AU is committed to implementing its resolution," he said, adding that "all Rwanda wants is the disarmament of these armed groups, whether voluntarily or forcefully." Meanwhile, there has been change in FDLR leadership, with Lt Col. Christopher Hakizabera, ousting Ignace Murwanashyaka, who was accused by the 'new leaders' of failing the earlier repatriation program as per the Rome Declaration of March 30, 2005. Reports say Hakizabera has restated the group's commitment to voluntarily disarm and repatriate, and denounced Kabila's forceful disarmament decision. "We reiterate our commitment to disarm and return to our country," he told VOA Thursday morning. Relevant Links Central Africa Rwanda Arms and Military Affairs Congo-Kinshasa Europe and Africa International Organizations and Africa The Rwandan government estimates that about 15,000 militia are holed up in the DRC, but the UN puts the figure to around 10,000. Kabila's directive comes three months after the rebels--many of them suspected to have participated in the 1994 Genocide--made a declaration in Rome, Italy, for voluntary disarmament and repatriation, organised by St Egidio Community. The declaration was made after secret talks with Kinshasa officials.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by IN
[Ugnet] Meeting Uganda's master tactician
Meeting Uganda's master tactician By Mike Wooldridge BBC world affairs correspondent, Kampala Yoweri Museveni seized power in Uganda in 1986 with a pledge that this was "no mere change of guards" - that Uganda was in for fundamental change. Mike Wooldridge interviews Yoweri Museveni in 1986He remains Uganda's leader 19 years on and there could now be another presidential term in prospect. His critics suggest this flies in the face of his promise that he would provide a different kind of African leadership. He insists that he has. I was in Kampala when Mr Museveni and his guerrilla force, the National Resistance Army, took over after a four-year bush war. We had badgered our way into Uganda from neighbouring Tanzania and had an "escort" of the NRA's youthful soldiers as we sped from the border to Kampala. The greatest toll of the conflict had been in rural areas where government soldiers confronted the rebels - civilians caught in the middle paid a heavy price. We were to discover just how heavy when we travelled to these areas and were shown piles of skulls and talked to those who had often only narrowly escaped with their lives, including women and girls who had been repeatedly raped. That - and a decade of the brutality of the Idi Amin regime beforehand - was the background against which Yoweri Museveni came to power in the nation known as the "Pearl of Africa". Plans for presidency When I interviewed him at that time, he said Uganda had been plagued by intrigue, subterfuge and power-seeking politicians. Your questions for Yoweri Museveni He wanted to unite Uganda and rid it of sectarianism. Yoweri Museveni was in military uniform for that interview and it took place in a capital city that bore the evidence of recent fighting. Kampala may now have been in Mr Museveni's hands but the NRA was yet to secure the north. He said they would do so "in a short while". Today there is still conflict in the north, severely scarring the landscape of a country that has otherwise seen a significant return to stability. The notorious tactics employed by the Lord's Resistance Army - especially the abduction of children as fighters and sex slaves - have kept the population of a large swathe of northern Uganda living in fear. I have just spent several days in parts of Uganda consumed much less by this unending conflict than by the politics surrounding the presidency. Parliament appears to be on the way to lifting the present two-term limit, which means that Mr Museveni could stand again when his current term expires next year. Critics charge that he wants to be president-for-life. Military tactician Speaking on the BBC's Talking Point programme, Mr Museveni was adamantly non-committal about his own continuing ambitions, putting his fate in the hands of the political movement that currently runs the country and in the hands of the people. Idi Amin left a legacy of brutality in Uganda Uganda is now three weeks away from a referendum on whether to return to multi-party politics - a move Mr Museveni is backing. Sitting opposite him, I was taken back to the various encounters with him when he was a guerrilla commander newly-turned president. He would talk as the tactician, someone steeped in the history of military conflicts. It remains a mystery to me why such a strategist has not succeeded in bringing the northern conflict to an end, though he lays the blame largely on external factors. At this moment, his people - and the world - are watching the strategy he pursues to take Uganda into a new political age. __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Niccolo Machiavelli Visits Kyankwanzi
Niccolo Machiavelli Visits Kyankwanzi Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) OPINIONJuly 3, 2005 Posted to the web July 4, 2005 Izama AngeloKampala One wonders what Niccolo Di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469-1526) would say if he were invited say by the National Leadership Institute at Kyankwanzi to give a talk on " Uganda: The politics of achieving a smooth transition from Museveni to Museveni". At the main event, the special guest would be the President himself, complete with at least 400 men at arms, his mobile kitchen and launderette, aides, guards, speech writers, press corps, chair lifters, standby doctor, standby chopper, escorting Ministers and members of the Movement Secretariat, a Mary Karoro Okurut, a Charles Bakabulindi and an occasional Nobert Mao for effect. Machiavelli, who has been keenly following events in Uganda, is impressed by his host President Yoweri Museveni. You see, the Italian, who we have brought back to life here, is considered the father of political science. His book, The Prince (1532), is the document responsible for the now infamous phrase: The end justifies the means. He looks around at the display of power and authority and smiles, wondering if Museveni is not really an Italian name from his native city of Florence. In The Prince, Machiavelli had written that the real purpose of political power is to maintain and extend itself and that all means may be resorted to for the establishment and preservation of authority. The Italian also wrote that the worst and most treacherous acts of the ruler are justified by the wickedness and treachery of the governed. Power had little to do, he said, with the welfare of the people, except as a means of keeping control of those who are ruled. It had less to do with ideology or right and wrong, unless these were related to the strategy, which keeps power in the hands of rulers. Time to make an impression on his speech-loving audience and the famous thinker stands up, walks to the podium and begins. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am impressed that against the odds of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, you have managed to keep this enterprise running. I particularly congratulate Mr Museveni for being as good a student of my own thinking as any I could have hoped for. Thank you for inviting me here today to speak on the subject of transiting from Museveni to Museveni". His audience claps politely and so he proceeds: "Power is about one's ability to effectively influence others to do one's bidding. If there are problems generated in the transition from Yoweri to Yoweri they come as the price of Museveni's success through the years of stamping his will on people and events. To sustain his power Museveni has checked the influence of others, dismantled potential alliances against him, fractured some, amputated others, and within the present term uprooted dissenting voices like that of former comrade Kategeya and Bidandi Ssali, soldiers Muntu and Besigye, who felt alienated as they lost their influence and have now jumped ship. Today our challenge is to evaluate the costs of sustaining Museveni's influence beyond his next term and examine the basis for this measurement", Satisfied that he is making progress, Machiavelli pauses, looks around and continues: "As we reflect on this, please remember that if there is any law that is fundamental to political survival, it is that political strategy must be based on the principle that your actions are determined by the outcome desired and nothing else. Please never forget this because Museveni has mastered it, which is why he is the president today. You could say that Yoweri has since 1986, been the driving force behind the functional cohesion in the country, the man with a vision of Uganda, while what all of you have is a vision of him". Laughter. Laughter. Over the next hour Machiavelli argues that the extension of Museveni's power will depend on the unity of purpose behind his several power bases. He points out that Museveni's supporters identify with what they can get from their vote. Relevant Links East Africa Uganda "Because the opposition has less to offer electoral colleges, they have been robbed of any advantage over Museveni since without alternative offers, most voters will keep what they have, following grandmother's wisdom that a bird in the hand is better than three in the bush," Machiavelli continued. " But here lies the challenge in sustaining support for Museveni. Since it depends on what is being doled out, the issue for various groups will be how much they have received and how they can increase their share. This issue has come forward recently with allegations of a cabinet mafia controlling the rations." Discover Yahoo! Use Yahoo! to plan a weekend, have fun online & more. Check it out!___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet %
[Ugnet] Fire Burns 152 Houses in Kalangala
Fire Burns 152 Houses in Kalangala Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) July 3, 2005 Posted to the web July 4, 2005 Isa AligaKalangala Property was lost on Sunday when fire burnt buildings at Kitobo landing site, Kyamuswa county in Kalangala district. The LC1 chairman, Mr Sam Lwagonza, said the fire was sparked off by a candle at about 4.00am and burnt about 152 structures. "The fire could have been caused by a candle in a wooden house, where two jerrycans of petrol were being kept by a fisherman," Lwagonza said. "At the time the fire engulfed the structures, most of the fishermen had gone fishing," Lwagonza said. Relevant Links East Africa Urban Issues and Habitation Uganda Lwagonza said some people from the neighbouring villages took advantage to loot some property. "They ferried the loot on boats to Lambu and Bukasa landing site." He appealed to the government for help Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] RDC Petitions Museveni Over Wakiso Land Wrangles
RDC Petitions Museveni Over Wakiso Land Wrangles Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) July 3, 2005 Posted to the web July 4, 2005 James BakunziWakiso The Wakiso Resident District Commissioner, Mr Francis Mukoome, has petitioned President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in the escalating land wrangles in the district. He told Daily Monitor on June 26 that the rate at which the bibanja owners (squatters) are being evicted by investors was worrying. "I have already asked his excellency the president to intervene in these increasing land wrangles because most peasants will begin to hate the government. This eviction causes conflicts," the RDC said. Mukoome said the president should consider providing legal assistance to such people because they are too poor to seek legal redress against errant landlords. He cited a case in Katabi sub-county where a number of people were made homeless after their crops and houses were destroyed by an investor whom the landlord sold the land. Relevant Links East Africa Uganda Food, Agriculture and Rural Issues Legal and Judicial Affairs Mukoome said lack of enough land tribunals was a major problem affecting the district. He warned investors against evicting people without compensating them. He said it appears the investors are blackmailing the government. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Kisanja threatens EA unity
Kisanja threatens EA unity Monitor Team KAMPALA TANZANIA is getting increasingly apprehensive over Uganda's move to amend its Constitution and abolish presidential term limits, a move that could jeopardise harmony in the East African Community and make the attainment of a political federation a pipe dream. The national parliament in the political capital of Dodoma was last week asked to reconsider Tanzania's position on the community if it means partnering with Uganda. The neighbouring country's independent media have also started questioning Uganda's suitability as a regional economic partner and part of a future political union. Moshi Urban MP Philemon Ndesamburo said Tanzania should withdraw from the East African Community (EAC) to "protect its credibility" after a Bill that would give President Yoweri Museveni the green light to vie for athird elective term when his current mandate expires next year passed the first stage in the Ugandan Parliament last week. "Tanzania should not co-operate with an undemocratic country that wants to have a president for life," Ndesamburo charged. "We are respected the world over as a democratic country that upholds the principles of democracy and good governance. We should protect this honour at all costs even if it means quitting EAC."The MP argued that Tanzania would lose its credibility if it co-operated with undemocratic and dictatorial governments. EAC is made up of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Ndesamburo, who made the call in his contribution to the 2005/2006 budget estimates for the Office of the President, was widely reported in the Tanzanian media, which have followed up the matter with several commentaries calling on President Museveni not to endanger the EAC by clinging onto power. Mkapas secret visitBut even before the MP spoke out, there were clear indications that President Benjamin Mkapa and his apparent successor, Jakaya Kikwete, were opposed to Uganda's attempts to amend the Constitution to remove term limits. Mkapa travelled to Uganda earlier this year for a private meeting at which he is reported to have told Museveni to abandon the plans of amending the Constitution and retire at the end of his current and last term. Kikwete, a close friend of former First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya, who fell out with Museveni over his opposition to the term limits amendment, has also privately expressed outrage at the Ugandan leadership's decision to amend the Constitution.The Tanzanians have reportedly said Museveni is "ashaming African leaders" by manipulating the Constitution in order to extend his stay. Reports that the Tanzanians are developing cold feet over the East African political union because of Museveni's apparent bid to stay in power beyond his current constitutional mandate will be unsettling for the president, who has privately told confidants that one of the reasons why he wants to carry on is to achieve his long dream of East African federation. Museveni said in an interview with Kfm on Sunday that the East African political union was one of the things he had not accomplished in his last 19 years. But in Kampala, the State Minister for Regional Cooperation, Mr. Augustine Nshimye, said the East African federation was in the interest of the entire region and had no relationship with Uganda's move to lift presidential term limits. He said even if Uganda's Constitution is amended to remove term limits, Museveni might not be in power in 2013, when the political federation is expected to start. "If Museveni contests for another term, it has no harm on the federation, and should not be a cause for alarm to other East African countries," Nshimye said. He said when East Africans go for full political federation, there will be general elections to determine the head of the federation. Nshimye said, "Assuming the people of East Africa choose Museveni, what would be wrong with that?" But the growing view in Tanzania appears to be that the dream of political federation would rather wait than play into the hands of Museveni, "who has shown no respect for his country's Constitution." Museveni studied at the University of Dar es Salaam and lived in Tanzania for many years, benefiting from the direct political tutelage of the country's first president, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. Museveni was commander of one of the Ugandan fighting forces, Fronasa, that joined the Tanzanian army in its war to remove Idi Amin from October 1978 to April 1979. Although Nyerere backed the subsequent regime of Milton Obote, he finally switched to Museveni's side as he entered his official retirement. Nyereres favourable disposition towards Museveni generated respect for Uganda's new leader in the Tanzanian establishment and public. After Nyerere entrenched the two-term limit for presidency in their Constitution, Tanzanians regard any attempts by an African leader to remain longer than 10 years in power with disapproval. However the Tanzanians, who contributed a lot t
[Ugnet] US Ambassador , Jimmy Kolker is wrong when he called on Opposition parties NOT to boycott referendum
On Friday the US Ambassador to Uganda, Jimmy Kolker, said a boycott would deprive the opposition of an opportunity to explain their vision of democracy in Uganda. He also criticised the government for the way it had handled the process so far. US ambassador is wrong...dead wrong! Uganda's opposition Political parties, will not and cannot participate in Yoweri Museveni's Referendum; the result of which is a foregone conclusion. ( I.E Museveni's NRM is going to manipulate the referendum to Support Museveni's third term). Therefore participating in the so called referendum exercise , in in essence , and endorsement of the regime's wishes. Let Museveni hold his referendum,... let him declare himself and the NRM the "winner" of the said "referendum"..the people of Uganda will therefore have a valid a sufficient reason to engage Museveni and his NRM in the language the NRM understands! Matek UGANDA: Concerns over constitutional amendment proposals 05 Jul 2005 14:40:34 GMTSource: IRIN Background CRISIS PROFILE-Whats going on in northern Uganda? CRISIS PROFILE: Whats going on in Congo? MORE KAMPALA, 5 July (IRIN) - The recent endorsement by the Ugandan parliament of a proposal to amend the constitution to remove presidential term limits could create political turmoil in the East African country, opposition politicians and some western governments have said. The MPs voted overwhelmingly on 28 June to change a 10-year old provision in the constitution that limited a president to two five-year terms. A national referendum on the issue is due to be held in July. Opposition politicians said the proposal to lift the term limits was intended to allow incumbent president Yoweri Museveni, whose second elected term expires in March 2006, to run again. The president has so far refused to state whether he is interested in running for a "third term". Asked by reporters on Sunday, he said a meeting of his ruling party's delegates, due soon, would decide who their candidate in the next elections would be. Ruling party cadres across the country have openly started campaigning for Museveni to get a "third term". The president, who seized power in a military coup in 1986, has already been in power for 20 years, during which he twice organised and won elections. "It is sad that Uganda will get back to its past bad ways. I find the decision by parliament last Tuesday very costly," said Paul Ssemogerere, previously foreign minister under Museveni and now leader of the opposition Democratic Party. Reagan Okumu, an opposition MP from northern Uganda where a brutal 18-year old war against Museveni's government is being fought, commented: "Maintaining Museveni in power has been a very expensive venture. Hundreds of thousands of people died while he fought his way to power, and many more have died while he is in power." He said opposition politicians were experiencing "a lot of harassment and intimidation in the countryside, including being faced with [the might of the] military". A government spokesman described the opposition as "lawbreakers and anarchists". "The government will have to act against those who are opposed to what we think is a major constitutional change. We shall firmly deal with those sowing fear," information minister and government spokesman, Nsaba Buturo, told IRIN on Saturday. He asked the opposition to learn to lose honourably, saying, "the vote was a victory for democracy: the people will now hire and fire their presidents, and not have the constitution dictate to them who to fire". The opposition politicians said 28 July was "nothing but a cover for his [Museveni's] plan to stay in power for life" and vowed to boycott the referendum. US TALKS TOUGH On Friday the US Ambassador to Uganda, Jimmy Kolker, said a boycott would deprive the opposition of an opportunity to explain their vision of democracy in Uganda. He also criticised the government for the way it had handled the process so far. "The Movement [ruling party] is portraying the referendum on the change of system as a chance to remove critical politicians from the institutions of government, so that their influence can be diminished still further. "At the same time, leaders of the opposition are pretending that Uganda's decision whether to adopt a multiparty system is of no consequence at all and are boycotting the referendum," Kolker noted. "In America, we believe that political competition improves government policies and gives citizens more voice. Sadly, no one is providing that positive vision of Uganda's political future," he added in a speech marking his country's independence day. He cast doubt on Uganda's democratic credentials and cautioned: "Freedom of _expression_, of association, of assembly are sacred principles in any serious democracy; until Ugandans exercising those rights are protected, and those violating them are punished, Uganda's democracy will be incomplete." He observed that the "red warnin
[Ugnet] FDC distances itself from political transition process
FDC distances itself from political transition process Hussein Bogere KAMPALA THE opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has distanced itself from the ongoing political transition process insisting that it is a fragrant conspiracy against democracy in Uganda, serving no other purpose other than entrenching a Museveni hegemony in our country. The statement is contained in a communication from Dr Chris Kibuuka, FDC External Coordinator for South Africa to the partys acting chairperson Ms Salaam Musumba, a copy of which Daily Monitor saw. Musumba, also MP for Bugabula South, told Daily Monitor yesterday: In the South African meeting, we agreed to defy anything that is illegitimate. We are aware that their communication is in line with our resolution. According to the communication, the position was reached in a meeting in South Africa that we didnt recognise any transitional laws as enacted by the 7th Parliament. Besigye attendedThe FDC leadership met in Johannesburg, South Africa last month in an extra ordinary meeting called by its exiled leader Col. Dr Kizza Besigye. The meeting among others resolved to defy government through civil disobedience as a way of expressing their feeling against what they called a dictatorial regime. We have learnt of actions of the 7th Parliament manipulated and stage managed by President Yoweri Museveni and Cabinet, which virtually culminated in defiling of article 105(2) of the Ugandan Constitution 1995. The article restricts presidential term limits to two, and is one of those proposed for amendment. Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Arms still flowing into DR Congo
Fellow Citizens: Under the prevailing circumstances below, DRC President Joseph Kabila apparently issued an order to his "troops"... threatening to I hear "disarm' the many Militia in fighting wars in Eastern DRC. Remember we pointed out that Kabilia was simply bluffing...and now the BBC , in the article, below seems to justify our apprehension with Kabila pronouncement. Matek Arms still flowing into DR Congo The flow of weapons into eastern DR Congo has not stoppedLarge quantities of arms continue to flow into the Democratic Republic of Congo despite a peace deal and a UN arms embargo, say human rights groups. Amnesty International says companies from the UK, Israel, South Africa, the US, Balkans and eastern Europe provide weapons to militias in east DR Congo. The report also documents arms sales to groups in neighbours Rwanda and Uganda. Amnesty called on the United Nations to strengthen its arms embargo and ensure round-the-clock monitoring of airports. "If the international community, the UN, and neighbouring states fail to halt this proliferation, the fragile peace process will collapse with disastrous consequences for human rights," said Kolawole Olaniyan, director of Amnesty's Africa programme. DR Congo's five-year civil war, which involved six countries, was declared over in 2003. But Rwanda and neighbouring Uganda are accused of continuing to fuel unrest in eastern DR Congo, smuggling in arms and plundering the region's resources. From the BBC__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] On the trail of DR Congo's 'cursed' gold
On the trail of DR Congo's 'cursed' gold By Will Ross BBC News, Mongbwalu The nugget of gold will help Richard feed his family In the town of Mongbwalu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Richard is all smiles as he shows me a small flake of gold balanced on the tip of his finger. He has just found it after sieving mud and sand for the whole morning. The gold, which he wraps up in the metal foil from a cigarette packet, is worth less than $10 (£5.50) but it will provide food for his family. DR Congo is rich in precious minerals such as diamonds and gold - but its people have gained little from this wealth because of conflict and bad government. A new report by Human Rights Watch says gold deposits in the volatile north-east of the country have been the catalyst for much of the conflict in the area. Much of the gold is sent to Uganda which has, as a result, become a significant exporter of the precious metal. The gold trail I am following to Uganda begins back in Mongbwalu, in DR Congo's Ituri district. Dangerous work Thousands of miners work here in muddy pits, extracting sand, mud and rocks in the search for gold. But they are not getting rich and their work is risky. The disused, often flooded industrial mines are the most dangerous. Days before I visited Mongbwalu, two men had died because of a lack of oxygen in one such mine. Mongbwalu is a beautiful, fertile hilly area. But the presence of gold has given it a violent history. The New York based Human Rights Watch says 2,000 civilians were killed during 2002 and 2003 as rival militias fought for control of the mines. Poverty forces many children to work in Mongbwalu's mines Mongbwalu changed hands five times in that period and tens of thousands of people fled their homes. Much of the fighting was along ethnic lines as civilians were targeted for being either from the Hema or the Lendu ethnic group. In its just released report entitled The Curse Of Gold, Human Rights Watch documents massacres, arrests, torture, forced labour and summary executions by various armed groups. The last bloody battle for control of Mongbwalu was two years ago when the Nationalist and Integrationist Front, FNI, took control. This ethnic Lendu militia set up committees to oversee the mining. The FNI has started to disarm under DR Congo's fragile peace process but many fighters are still in the bush. With virtually no Kinshasa government representation in Mongbwalu, the mines seem to be still under the control of the FNI which benefits from taxes. Child miners Before returning to the bottom of a 15-metre hole which he has dug by hand, James tells me that last month he found 10g of gold worth $130. However, the authorities took a hefty $50 slice. At a disused industrial mine which still attracts plenty of labour, a notice informs the miners of the mandatory $1 daily fee. Using a plank of wood and a towel, 13-year-old Olobo sieves for gold. He tells me he does not make much money, as the owner usually takes whatever he finds. He just gets enough to buy food and other essentials. Olobo says his parents don't have the money to send him to school so he is either at home or mining. Border deals A 20-minute helicopter ride away is the town of Bunia, close to the Ugandan border. The roads are so poor, the same journey takes at least a day by car. Just off the main road I enter a tiny shop which has just enough room for a simple desk, with a calculator and some scales. Conditions inside the disused mines can often be dangerous There is a steady flow of customers and the on the day I visit almost $3,000 worth of gold has been bought. The buyer, Ali Madingaka, tells me there are hundreds of similar shops and homes in Bunia where such transactions are taking place. Bunia is just one of several gold-buying towns in north-eastern DR Congo. When he has collected several thousand dollars worth of gold, Ali flies to Uganda, which is exactly where I am heading. Foreign markets Uganda's link with gold has often been controversial. The Ugandan army for several years had a presence in eastern DR Congo and was accused of looting its neighbours' resources - an accusation it denies. Human Rights Watch says in one area under Ugandan army control in 1999, Ugandan soldiers insisted, against geologists' advice, on using dynamite to extract the ore. As a result the mine collapsed. Mr Lodhia says he is not aware the gold may benefit militia groups Human Rights Watch says 100 miners died. The soldiers may not be there now but the Ugandan-DR Congo gold link is very much alive. In a small workshop in a residential suburb of Kampala, I meet JV Lodhia of Uganda Commercial Impex - one of a handful of gold exporters in the Ugandan capital. Within a few minutes he has turned a small dish of gold flakes into a finger-sized gold bar worth around $1,000. Mr Lodhia says he exports between two to three tonnes of gold a year - mos
[Ugnet] SPLA Should Eject LRA
Fellow Citizens: So now the NRM is shifting it's responsibility to SPLA and John Garang!! The fact is , as the BBC correspondent point out in an article I posted a few days ago, the "Great Tactician" Yoweri Museveni Kaguta CANNOT defeat KONY... he is now left with no choice but to beg Mr. Jhon Garang's for his assistance to deal with 'kony"...meanwhile John Garang is playing along!!..and by the way remember the UN man...the mediator who was supposingly with Betty Bigombe, going to negotiate "peace between "kony" and Mucebeni"... have you ever wondered as to what has become of that undertaking? all seems to be quiet from that end!!! Matek SPLA Should Eject LRA Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) July 4, 2005 Posted to the web July 5, 2005 Kampala The Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army leader Col. John Garang has called for the final exit of the Lord's Resistance Army rebels from Southern Sudan. Garang's comments come at a time when Sudan prepares for the implementation of the landmark January peace agreement on July 9. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and millions displaced as a result of the brutal Kony war. Kony has mainly survived because of his rear base in Southern Sudan. Civilians in Southern Sudan have equally suffered. Recent reports that some Sudanese army officers continue giving Kony supplies, despite the government decision to cut off support, are distressing. The LRA remains focused on terror tactics and not the control of any territory. Even with gradually eroding force levels, it still launches brutal strikes, which prevent resettlement of the 1.5 million displaced persons in northern Uganda. Government has expressed flexibility and offered an olive branch via amnesty but nothing tangible has happened. The mediation in the recent months by Betty Bigombe has not yielded much although some LRA commanders have surrendered. With the return of peace to Southern Sudan, there is some ray of hope for the people of the north. Key decisions are about to be made on Uganda's political future. People of the north need to participate in these processes. The LRA combatants who are still in the bush need to be assured of the re-integration strategy that will accelerate their return including guarantees of amnesty and security, education and micro-enterprise support. They also need to be assured that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will not pursue the arrest warrants. Kony needs to make a strategic decision to either surrender under the amnesty act and be re-located to a third country or he risk being hunted down by a combined force of both countries. Rather than just mere rhetoric, Garang must assert his authority and act to end the Kony menace.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Museveni's Pride Dented By Rwandan Patrol
Museveni's Pride Dented By Rwandan Patrol Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site SouthScan (London) June 30, 2005 Posted to the web July 6, 2005 Tensions between neighbours Rwanda and Uganda are never far from the surface. They were most recently demonstrated on the Uganda/Rwanda border where Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking to boost his standing in the regional security affairs, was publicly humiliated by a Rwandan military patrol. Museveni traveled by road to Kigali in a 12-strong motorcade including the elite Presidential Guard to hand over the chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa - Comesa - to Rwanda's President Paul Kagame on June 2. Part of the entourage was blocked by Rwandan security. Not only did they stop the Ugandan president but they brandished superior weapons, something of an affront to Museveni, who has made security issues in the region his key area. The Rwandan soldiers were more assertive and carried M16 assault rifles fitted with telescopic sights, while Museveni's Presidential Guard carried AK-47s. For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here.(Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. It was a small event but was read locally as Rwanda upstaging Uganda in security affairs and it created a diplomatic spat between the two countries with Rwanda responding to the Ugandan protest by questioning why a diplomatic vehicle was carrying guns. Kagame is still nervous about attempts by 'Ugandan' officers within his military who reportedly were planning a coup and he has arrested six of them. He hinted during an interview with a Kampala FM station of some destabilizing programme coming from Uganda, though he would not elaborate. Museveni later told parliament that it was a small incident but Kagame still refused to attend an agricultural conference in Entebbe on June 6. Museveni's problem with his neighbours are not yet over. The DR Congo fears he wants to destabilize it using gold proceeds and Sudan is angry that Uganda still engages it in unresolved business with the rebel Lord's Resistance Army. Western views Western powers, and particularly the US, consider Rwandan skills more bankable and acknowledge Rwanda as a regional power. Rwanda does not have a civil war, DRC ties are normalizing - evident in recent decision not to take Rwanda to International Court of Justice - and some Western powers are now prepared to consider Rwanda's looting of DRC natural resources as motivated mainly by security considerations. In contrast Uganda is still gripped by a civil war and extensive cattle rustling and shows some aggressive tendencies towards its neighbours. Great Lakes conflicts, save for those in Uganda, are arguably subsiding, prompting moves by some Western powers to view Uganda as a problem country in need of international intervention and not a success story. Yet Western reliance on Uganda continues, for the present. The US increased military assistance to Uganda to $4m in 2004. The Ugandan army appears strong with a revived air force and with the creation of an artillery brigade and with a tank brigade planned - the military has 450 battle tanks. However, together with the increased aid has come the realisation that the army is largely unreformed and riddled with corruption. The Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) has failed to defeat the rebellion in the north or rampant cattle rustling by its neighbours. The US wants the Ugandan army to drop its prime military approach and is pushing for the implementation of its 'Northern Uganda Peace Initiative NUPI', an advisory programme but with a humanitarian aid component. NUPI has been refashioned to include the political and security circumstances that fuel the LRA rebellion and considers poverty and unequal economic and political opportunities between north and south as underlying causes of the war. Nevertheless US policy seems ambiguous and has been an issue of concern among other Western powers. While agreeing that the military option in the north is unviable, the US has put the LRA on its list of terrorist organisations, which has made others doubtful about US intentions and has let Museveni off the hook. The US is moving cautiously, with the apparent intention of retaining influence and the visit on June 1 by a US military delegation led by Gen. James Jones of US European Central Command reflects continuing US engagement with Museveni on security matters. At the same time the US is gradually becoming more intrusive in the running of the army, cautioning top brass on the need to remain neutral in the political process and to respect human rights. The US is also in agreement with Museveni in using regional bodies to enhance security. For instance, Uganda's unilateral approach on cattle rustling has been dropped in favour of a regional approach through IGAD the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. By the end of
[Ugnet] Britain raises more concerns on Uganda
lok Odoko tak! Britain raises more concerns on Uganda HUSSEIN BOGERE KAMPALA THE British government has raised more concerns about Ugandas transition process saying it is not free from physical manipulation. The British Minister of State for Trade, Mr Ian Pearson, was responding to queries about UKs assessment of the prospects for free and fair elections in Uganda, with particular reference to the 1997 Movement Act, which fuses the ruling Movement political system with state institutions including the crucial UPDF, the Presidents appointed Electoral Commission, the state-funded Movement Secretariat and complete lack of funding for the opposition said.We make clear the importance of political change in Uganda carrying the genuine confidence of the people and their representatives, respecting the rule of law and institutions of governance, and being free from physical intimidation or manipulation. Regrettably, none of these appears to be happening although the transition is less than one year away, Pearson said.Pearson, t he MP for Dudley South, was answering questions in the British House of Commons in a question and answer session on Tuesday.Mr Michael Thomas Hancock, MP Portsmouth south asked What discussions he and his officials have had with the Ugandan authorities regarding the exorbitant cost of the July referendum and if he will make a statement. Pearson answered: Our officials in Kampala have frequently highlighted in discussions with the Ugandan authorities our grave concerns about the high monetary, time costs and the rationale of the referendum in relation to alternative options, given that many political parties including FDC have already registered and are actively campaigning in spite of the constraints. The referendum The Shs22 billion referendum on which political system Uganda should adopt is to be held on July 29th. Pearson said the British government had received assurances from Uganda that the 2006 elections will be free and fair. To enable the elections due in March 2006 to be seen free and fair under a multi-party system, many legislative changes are needed. We have received assurances from the Ugandan Foreign Minister that these will be in place by the end of August 2005. The UK and other donors will closely monitor developments.To help ensure that the elections are properly managed we, together with other development partners in Uganda, are contributing to a basket fund to support the work of the Electoral Commission, Pearson said. According to the House of Commons Hansard, a copy of which Daily Monitor saw, Pearson said the British government and other donor governments have regularly urged the Uganda government t o ensure that a level playing field for all parties is established in good time before the 2006 elections. In March, the British government withheld Shs44 billion worth of aid. The British said then they were not happy with the progress made towards establishing a level playing field for political parties. Hancock also raised the matter of the continued funding of the Movement Secretariat by the Uganda government. Pearson said On June 24th the Ugandan foreign minister told our officials that state funding will cease as soon as a multi-party system of government is adopted. Sadly, that might be too late for the opposition, Pearson said.The House of Commons also discussed the return of Dr. Kizza Besigye or Dr. Apollo Milton Obote. Hancock demanded to know whether the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had discussions with the Ugandan authorities regarding the return of Dr Kizza Besigye and Dr Apollo Milton Obote.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] AI accuses Rwanda, Uganda of arming militias in DR Congo
AI accuses Rwanda, Uganda of arming militias in DR Congo Paris, France, 07/06 - Amnesty International (AI) has accused Rwanda and Uganda of providing arms to various groups and militias operating in east DR Congo. "Rwanda has consistently been providing military support to some armed groups in the DR Congo, especially the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD-Goma), a group involved in the exploitation of the country`s natural resources," AI charged in a report released Tuesday.The report criticised the role played by suppliers, merchants and transporters who export arms from different countries to the Great Lakes region. AI claimed Ugandan military officials had on several occasions provided arms, ammunitions, and military assistance to armed groups in east DR Congo in 2003 and 2004, adding that some of the groups controlled Congolese gold mining areas and access roads. The report said the armed groups and militias "commit atrocities considered as war crimes and cri mes against humanity." "The (arms) cargo keeps coming into DR Congo, despite the peace process initiated in 2002 and the arms embargo imposed by the UN," AI added. First page | Politics | Economy | Social | Sport | Culture | Africa | International | Specials | 24 hours service © 1996-2003 Angop. All rights reserved__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] UGANDA: Sudanese refugees living rough
UGANDA: Sudanese refugees living rough 08 Jul 2005 08:26:20 GMTSource: IRIN Background CRISIS PROFILE-What's going on in Sudan's Darfur? CRISIS PROFILE-Whats going on in northern Uganda? CRISIS PROFILE: Whats going on in Congo? MORE ARUA, 8 July (IRIN) - Kennedy Abonga fled his home in southern Sudan when the notoriously brutal Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), killed 11 people in his village, including his nephew. "The LRA first abducted people to use as carriers of their looted food and eventually released them, but they changed that," Abonga said. "Now, when one carries food to the bush, when the food has been eaten, that also marks the end of your life - they kill you." Abonga and his family sought refuge at Ikafe refugee settlement in Arua district in the northwest of neighbouring Uganda, home to some 10,000 south Sudanese refugees. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, estimates that since January almost 9,000 people, mainly women and children, have fled attacks by the LRA in south Sudan. The refugees however, said safety was not guaranteed even when they reached Uganda, because the LRA continued to terrorise them. In 2002 more than 60 were killed at Achol Pii camp in Pader district, 400 km north of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The exodus that followed the Achol Pii attack saw thousands of refugees relocated to the nearby Lira district and later to camps in Kiryandongo in the west, where congestion and poor sanitation made conditions worse. In 2004 they were finally transferred to Ikafe and Madi Okolo in Arua. HOPES PINNED ON CPA The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between Khartoum and the southern Sudan People's liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), signed on 9 January, has raised the expectations of Sudanese refugees in Uganda. Florence Bol, 51, spoke for many at Ikafe: "We hope the international community will try to see that by the time we return facilities like schools for our children are in place; medical facilities, water and more importantly, our security, which we have enjoyed here for the past year, is in place too." Aid workers said governance, protection of rights, equal access to quality services and an environment of respect, peace and security remained big challenges in southern Sudan. "Returning refugees will play a crucial role in creating the society in Sudan, but to do this they must be properly prepared," Ciaran Donnelly, the director of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Uganda, told IRIN. "Appropriate resources [must be] made available, so that refugee assistance programming in host countries is implemented in a manner that will actively make them valuable contributors to the reconstruction of their country," he noted. However, the LRA is continuing its 19-year war against the Ugandan government from bases in southern Sudan, making efforts to encourage the refugees to return home the biggest challenge. The rebels are particularly known for their brutality towards children, and aid workers say they have abducted more than 20,000 to serve as fighters, porters and sex slaves. After the CPA was signed, the SPLM/A leader, John Garang, promised that his organisation would assist in efforts to drive the LRA out of southern Sudan, but to date little progress has been seen and sources said the Ugandan insurgents continue to attack the inhabitants of southern Sudan. As a result, many Sudanese refugees in Uganda prefer to remain where they are, and have expressed limited interest in returning home: only 6,000 out of a total pf 204,400 refugees are expected to be repatriated in 2005, according to UNHCR. EDUCATION In the meantime, many of the refugees at Ikafe have enrolled in the free primary and secondary education provided by the Ugandan government. A few, like Isaac Taban, 19, a student at Mvara Secondary School in Arua who hopes to become a civil engineer, have been lucky enough to find sponsors for their tertiary education. "My education is currently sponsored by Hajj Pilkington Charitable Trust - they pay my school dues, uniform, and give me a stipend of 15,000 shillings [less than US $9] per term," he said. Ikafe settlement has one primary and secondary school, supported by IRC. The primary school has 3,931 pupils and the secondary school 389, but low female enrolment and overcrowding are major problems. The refugee community has also started their own schools and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, recently visited one. Oliji primary and secondary school in the Adjumani district of northwestern Uganda educates Sudanese students who fled when their settlement in Mungula in Arua was attacked last year by the LRA, but its classrooms are makeshift structures of plastic and reeds, and provide scant protection from sun and rain. The refugees say Mungula was extremely fertile, so parents could pay for their children's school fees with the profits from their crops, but at Oliji they struggle to make
[Ugnet] 'Mafia' Terror Hits Mbarara...kasta fo us we can sreep!!!
'Mafia' Terror Hits Mbarara Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) July 7, 2005 Posted to the web July 8, 2005 Tushabire TibyangeMbarara THE crime rate in Mbarara has taken a new pattern with criminals targeting high profile personalities in the town, RDC Clement Kandole has said. He was addressing the district council at a session to mourn the slain councillor, Leonard Isingoma, on July 1 at the Council Hall. "The district has been plagued by killers. If we are not careful, the town will be taken over by the mafia. We must be on top of the situation," Kandole said. Isingoma was killed on June 30 at his home in Buremba, Kazo County, by unknown assailants who were later arrested on July 1 after President Yoweri Museveni ordered a crack down on the killers. Relevant Links East Africa Crime and Corruption Uganda The district has been rocked by murders involving high profile persons. They include Eng Kwezi Akiiki, Dr Balagadde and Bwesharire Ruhinda.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] 'This Was Not Her Making - She is Still Beautiful to Me'
'This Was Not Her Making - She is Still Beautiful to Me' Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site Cape Argus (Cape Town) July 7, 2005 Posted to the web July 7, 2005 Beauregard Tromp Across northern Uganda men and women live with lips, ears and limbs hacked off, a constant reminder that the "Lord's Resistance Army" is still alive. Africa Correspondent Beauregard Tromp and chief photographer Anton Hammerl visited the region. Hurriedly making her way across the open field which dominates the centre f Lokung is Elda Akwero. Having been summoned by the camp commander, Elda takes each of the men standing in the office-cum-storage shed's hand in turn, kneeling and head bowed as she does so. When she stands up it is with a ready, albeit shy smile. Even though her beautiful ebony skin conceals most blemishes, it is impossible not to notice the scarring which runs across the top of her lip, the result of a jagged bayonet slash at her face in an attempt to mutilate and intimidate not only her, but her entire community. With a population of about 21 000 people this is the last Internally Displaced Peoples camp before the border with Sudan, some 18km away. "I feel pain," is all Elda is initially prepared to say about the events leading up to her horrific ordeal. Followed by two other women who were mutilated in much the same way, she takes us to the hut she shares with her husband and four children. The day started out as any other with Elda joining a group of women from Ngomoromo, 7km from the Sudan border, to fetch water at a source 4km away. The sleepy, non-descript, dustbowl of a town is truly the final frontier, the last outpost for the Ugandan People's Defence Force before the lawless no-go zone where "LRA rebels" are said to roam freely. There is no border post, fence or any other discernible marking showing where the two countries meet. Just an invisible line that everybody sees but no civilians dare cross. Approaching the stream which runs across the dirt road patrolled by the government troops the women saw the clusters of speckled butterflies which mark all water sources in this part of the country. Other women were already returning, their jerry cans empty. Questioned, the women said they had seen boot prints around the waterhole, a sign that rebels were in the vicinity. The entire group of almost 20 women decided to turn around and head home, three of the women, including Santa Akwero and nine-month-old Nancy Angwec, carrying children tied to their backs. "We didn't make it. We ran straight into five rebels. Some of the women escaped but we didn't. They ordered that we remove our blouses and run with them carrying the jerry cans," said Elda. They ran for about 3km before stopping at an abandoned homestead. Half-naked and stumbling through the undergrowth towards an unknown destination, the fear among the 10 women was palpable. "There was a woman with us who had just given birth. Her child was two months old and started crying. She just would not stop crying," said Elda. "One of the "rebels" said the mother must hand over the child so that it could be killed. She refused. So he came to her to grab the child and she put it down on the floor," she said. The "rebel soldier" grabbed the mother, took her outside and, using the rifle butt, beat the seemingly dissenting woman to death. "When the rebel returned he saw me holding the child and said I must be killed too. I put the child down on the floor. He took the child and hit it against the head with a branch. Again, again. He threw the body into the bush," said Elda. Perhaps fearing that their position may have been compromised, the "rebels" moved the group 2km further away to another abandoned village. The jerry cans were lined up and a piece of cloth was used to try to tie the cans together. The fact that the cloth was too short for this purpose seemed to anger the rebels who then held a quiet discussion among themselves. The women were ordered to strip naked and enter one of the huts. Elda and the rest of the women had heard of this before. Women are ordered to strip naked and are tied together before being bundled into a hut which is then set alight with them in it. The fear was paralysing as the women obeyed their captors and moved into the hut. "We thought we were going to be burnt alive in the house," said Santa Akwero. Moments later a single soldier entered the hut, a blunt bayonet in his hand. "He started cutting the women in the face. Cutting their lips off," said Santa. No one resisted, survival paramount in their thoughts. "We knew there were more soldiers outside and they would kill us," said Elda perfunctorily. Of the 10 women who entered, only two left the hut without being mutilated. "Those two were spared because they had to tell the people what happened," said Elda. Naked and bleeding from their wounds, the women were eventually released and left to find their way home. The entire ordeal had l
[Ugnet] UPDF Ill-Armed for K'jong - Lokeris
May be the UPDF will have to use some of those 450 tanks to engage these "karamojong cattle rustlers"!!! Matek UPDF Ill-Armed for K'jong - Lokeris Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site New Vision (Kampala) July 7, 2005 Posted to the web July 7, 2005 Silver IlukolKampala The UPDF cannot combat cattle rustling in Karamoja because they are ill-equipped, state minister for Karamoja affairs Peter Lokeris has said. He said due to lack of facilities, the UPDF were inferior to the warriors and cannot crush serious cattle rustling battles. "Our soldiers carry the same guns like the warriors and walk on foot. It is not possible to curb cattle rustling when the criminals are at the same rating with the law implementor," said Lokeris. Relevant Links East Africa Arms and Military Affairs Legal and Judicial Affairs Crime and Corruption Uganda He was responding to complaints by local leaders that the UPDF had relaxed in recovering stolen cattle. He said this in a meeting attended by state minister for security Betty Akech at Nabilatuk sub-county in Nakapiripirit. Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] US envoy warns of big trouble
US envoy warns of big trouble HUSSEIN BOGERE KAMPALA The United States Ambassador, Mr Jimmy Kolker, has said retaining presidential term limits would be a key tenet of true democracy in Uganda.Term limits are one way in which institutions can survive an individual. Uganda has had peace since 1986, prosperity and institutions put in place. The question is, will that survive the current president? That President Yoweri Museveni is the only guarantor that prosperity will continue in Uganda? If so, it is very dangerous because one day he will no longer be president, and if those institutions and those positives of Ugandan society cannot survive him personally, then Uganda is in big trouble, the diplomat said.Kolker was speaking on Tonight with Andrew Mwenda talk show on 93.3 Kfm on Thursday. He said Parliament has not been independent in the Constitution amendment process.He cited two MPs who confided in him last year that they were opposed to lifting the term limits, but had turned round and vo ted in favour of removing them. Parliament last week passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to proceed to the committee stage. Musevenis last term expires next year. We are a country that has term limits. We have advocated term limits in other countries. I think it allows methods by which institutions can survive an individual certainly in the case of Uganda its necessary, Kolker said.The term limits give leaders and the public to go out and say I have done my part, here is my successor, here is the person I want you to elect, here is the policy and platform on which this person is going to be elected so that my legacy can continue, he said.Kolker, whose diplomatic tenure in Uganda ends in September, said people have suffered for presidents not handing over power peacefully.To me this is a very important principle in any country and certainly is important in a country like Uganda where it has never happened, where we have never had a leader leave power peacefully, he said. Kolker said what has been happening in Uganda is every successor trying to erase all the envisages of his predecessor.It seems to me that term limits allow situations where there can be leaders who have successors. I and my country believe term limits contribute to democracy, Kolker said.He also said he was disappointed at the ongoing referendum campaigns because both the government and the opposition, who advocate a boycott, have missed the point. The US policy is to strengthen institutions, to give peoples views to get better ideas. But no one in Uganda is giving that vision. Political parties have a bad history. This is the time to re-invent political parties I hope that government and the opposition will campaign, I hope that people will realise that multi-party competition influences government policy and allows citizens to change power peacefully, he said Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Conmen steal Shs212m in army cheques
Conmen steal Shs212m in army cheques GRACE MATSIKO KAMPALA SHS212 million meant to clear electricity bills for the Uganda Peoplels Defence Force (UPDF) has been stolen. Police sources that preferred anonymity said cheques for the money, written for the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), were found to have been cashed by the suspects on an account with Centenary Rural Development Bank (Cerudeb) on Entebbe Road in May.The Army Spokesman, Lt. Col. Shaban Bantariza, said Mr Martin Okoth, a UEDCL staff, whom UEDCL introduced to the UPDF to collect the electricity bill payments, picked the cheques.It is a case which the CID is handling. It is more of UEDCL than for us because they introduced Okoth to us in a letter and he had a UEDCL identity card. He has been picking cheques from us for a long time, he said. Bantariza said the army was ready to turn in their staff, who would be implicated by the police in the alleged fraud.Daily Monitor failed to get a comment from the UEDCL Managing Director, Ms Irene Muloni. A CID source close to the investigations said that UEDCL's Okoth was under investigations over the stolen cheques. The source said apparently, the suspected fraudsters forged official company letters and opened a new account at the Cerudeb branch and withdrew the money when the cheques were cleared.The fraud was brought to light by Bank of Uganda, which issues cheques for the Ministry of Defence during their reconciliation process with UEDCL.UEDCL said they had not been paid and it was established that the cheques were diverted to an account with Cerudeb.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Bush opposed to 3rd term for Museveni
Bush opposed to 3rd term for Museveni HUSSEIN BOGERE KAMPALA President George W. Bush advised President Museveni to retire from politics next year when the two men met at the White House in 2003. According to US Ambassador Jimmy Kolker, Bush spoke about the importance of a peaceful political transition in Uganda. HELLO: President Museveni meets officials of the Global Forum on International Co-operation at the start of their conference at Makerere University on Friday. The conference discussed poverty, disease and conflict in Africa. Photo by James Akena "I was at the meeting and I am comforted in what I say - that peaceful transition is important to term limits - because I know what my President believes and I know what he said," Mr Kolker said while appearing on the Tonight with Andrew Mwenda Live talk show on 93.3 Kfm on Thursday night. "He talked about the American system and said, 'I am a rancher and I know you are a fellow rancher. I want to get back to my ranch soon, and hope you also would like to get back to your cattle one day'." The ambassador said he has offered his own advice to the President whenever asked. "I don't broadcast that advice over the radio. But I agree that Africa's problem is leaders hanging on to power." Kolker's remarks come at a time when Parliament is amending the Constitution, partly to remove presidential term limits and allow someone elected President to keep running for the office for as long as he or she sees fit. Critics say the move is meant to clear Mr Museveni to run again when his current term ends next year. Kolker said he thinks Parliament was manipulated into voting for the Bill. "It does appear that MPs were manipulated, probably there were lots of carrots and sticks," the ambassador said, giving an example of two MPs who confided in him that they were opposed to lifting of term limits but voted for it all the same. The US diplomat also said it was odd for a 9-year-old Constitution, made through a highly inclusive process, to be so thoroughly amended. "It's a worry that without allowing that Constitution to run, there are over 100 amendments and many of those had sections that hadn't been tested. The US constitution was enacted in 1789, and only 27 articles have been amended." Election violenceHe also condemned election violence, saying he is disappointed Parliament has not carried out the recommendations of a report on the 2001 election violence. "When I arrived in 2002 my first meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, the minister of justice at the time, I brought up this issue - that there is this disturbing report about election violence."The report, by a select committee of Parliament, recommends, for example, a tighter electoral law that bars the military from keeping law and order during elections, an activity that should be the preserve of the police. "I have never stopped recommending that that report be taken up and that laws be passed, institutions be established that... would reduce violence," said the ambassador who will be leaving within a year. "My position hasn't been the Parliaments priority and I am disappointed. I think there is much that Uganda could do." Parliament's publicist Bernard Eceru said no action has been taken on the report because it didn't get the time on the order paper. "There have been more pressing issues like the Constitution Amendment Bill, the budget, among others," he said. "But there is a possibility of it not being debated by the 2006 general elections." The 2001 general elections were characterised by violence that included some deaths.Thursday was the second time in a week that Ambassador Kolker was speaking critically of the government in public. While marking his country's 229th independence anniversary on July 1, Kolker criticised Ugandan politicians saying they should guard against corruption and political intolerance. He said that "in privatisations, procurement decisions and budget allocations, politicians too often put personal and political advantage, including outright greed, ahead of the national interest".Added the ambassador: "Until Ugandans exercising [their] rights are protected and those violating them are punished, Uganda's democracy will be incomplete."__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Baghdad Recuits, UK eyes troop cuts
Baghdad recruits, UK eyes troop cuts By Alastair Macdonald Sun Jul 10, 5:48 AM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 40 at an Iraqi army recruiting center in western Baghdad on Sunday, hospital sources and police said. One Interior Ministry source put the death toll at 22. The attack, claimed by al Qaeda's Iraq wing in an Internet posting, was the bloodiest in a week that has seen something of a lull in mass killings. Some insurgents have turned on other targets, including, in al Qaeda's case, top foreign diplomats. A suicide car bomber also killed three civilians and wounded 10 near the local authority building in the ethnically tense northern oil city of Kirkuk on Sunday, police said. Four police were killed and three wounded further north near Mosul when a suicide bomber hit the motorcade of a district police chief. Baghdad's Muthanna airfield recruitment station, near the city center, has been struck before, part of a sustained campaign by Sunni Arab insurgents against the Shi'ite-led government's fledgling security forces. Those troops and police are a vital element in Washington's publicly proclaimed strategy of withdrawing its 140,000 or so troops over time and putting Iraqis in the front line of fighting the revolt among the once-dominant Sunni minority. The British government responded to a newspaper report that it and Washington had plans to halve their forces in Iraq by next year by saying this was just one scenario. A spokesman for the Pentagon, which has said the war in Iraq could last years, insisted it had no schedule for withdrawal. RECRUITMENT STRONG Thirty-nine people from Muthanna airfield were being treated at the nearby Yarmuk hospital, medical sources said, and 16 bodies had been received there. Several police sources said at least 42 people were wounded and that 18 people had been killed. The bomb went off as people were starting their working day in the capital. Recruitment to the police and army has surged in recent months, with thousands of unemployed young men willing to face great risks for the prospect of a good salary. Bombers have frequently mingled with them before blowing themselves up. Though the government and its U.S. sponsors insist that the new Iraqi army be drawn from across the country's complex ethnic and sectarian mix, disgruntled Sunni Arabs, who formed the elite of Saddam Hussein's military, accuse the government of forming a mostly Shi'ite and Kurdish force directed against them. Such tension has fueled suggestions that Iraq could descend into civil war in the absence of a major U.S. military presence. Passions flared in one mainly Shi'ite district of eastern Baghdad on Sunday as word spread of the overnight massacre of a local family of nine, who were shot in their beds. Police had no immediate leads but relatives leveled accusations at Sunnis. TROOPS DEBATE A document from Britain's Defense Ministry, leaked in London's Mail on Sunday newspaper, said the British and U.S. governments had plans to reduce their troop levels in Iraq by more than half by mid-2006, handing over to Iraqi forces. The memo, apparently written by Defense Secretary John Reid, said Britain would cut its force to 3,000 from 8,500 and Washington also had a plan to cut its forces to 66,000. "Emerging U.S. plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006," the memo said. "There is, however, a debate between the Pentagon/Centcom, who favor a relatively bold reduction in force numbers and the multinational force in Iraq, whose approach is more cautious." President Bush has responded to opinion polls showing falling popularity for his Iraq policy by telling voters that U.S. forces will stand down "as Iraqis stand up." U.S. commanders on the ground say they are pleased with the progress Iraqi forces but caution that training will take time. Reid said in response to the report: "We have made it absolutely plain we will stay in Iraq for as long as is needed." In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant-Commander Joe Carpenter, said: "I am not aware of any decided-upon timeline." (Additional reporting by Faris al-Mehdawi and Waleed Ibrahim in Baghdad, Heba Kandil in Dubai, Aref Mohammed in Kirkuk and Maher al-Thanoon in Mosul) __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] In Eastern Uganda....
You Move Kaguta as in chess!! UWA evicts 1,000 in Kapchorwa, says FDC David Mafabi KAPCHORWA The Uganda Wildlife Authority effort to restore the national park colonial boundaries has left over 1,211 people in Kapchorwa landless, the district chairman of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change, Mr Peter Kamuron, has said. Kamuron said the Benet of Kapchorwa have been rendered landless and are squatters on their own land, living in camps under poor sanitation. While government addresses the issue of internally displaced people living in camps in northern Uganda due to the Lords Resistance Army rebellion, there are over 1,000 Benet people of Kapchorwa displaced by UWA living in camps constructed on a rock who urgently need help, Kamuron said. He was addressing a political rally at Kapchorwa Boma Ground on July 2, shortly before the launch of FDC offices in Kapchorwa town.Kamuron is a former National Resistance Council Member for Kween County.He said when the government transferred the authority of Mt. Elgon National Park to UWA in 19 90/92, UWA made stringent rules that left many people landless.Tension between UWA and the local residents is surging as UWA is in the process of restoring the national park boundaries as they were during the colonial period. Kamuron told the FDC team led by the interim chairperson, Ms Salaamu Musumba, that the government had done nothing to end the Karimojong cattle rustling in which 1,700 people were killed and 34,000 displaced and over 8,000 head of cattle stolen in the last four years.He said Ngenge sub-county that lies between Nakapiripiriti and Sironko has been deserted because the armed Karimojong have turned it into a cattle rustling corridor. Musumba said since the Movement government has not given them security for 20 years, they should abandon it. A government that does not provide security for its citizens and does not bother about the living conditions of its people is as good as dead. This is the time the people of Kapchorwa should dam p the Movement government, Musumba said. Discover Yahoo! Get on-the-go sports scores, stock quotes, news & more. Check it out!___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Lost generation grows in Yoweri Museveni's Uganda
Lost Generation Grows in Uganda NPR - Jul 08 7:56 AMCommentator Leroy Sievers talks about what he saw when he documented the effect of Uganda's civil war on children in the northern part of the country. The documentary is part of a project for Human Rights Watch. Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items. Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] "It is a Hima Dynasty"
It is a Hima dynasty I want to agree with the author of the article, Museveni's Dynasty Not Welcome Here (Daily Monitor, June 30). However, I want to correct the erroneous belief by the same author that the dynasty Museveni is bent on creating is a Nyankole dynasty. It is not. It is a Hima dynasty. I know many people outside what used to be called Ankole, before it was fragmented into different districts, cannot tell the difference between Bahima and Bairu (a misnomer surely!) Culturally, physically, socially, in other words, ethnically, Movement propaganda notwithstanding, the two groups of people are very different and do not interact socially except for appearances' sake because the Bairu are superior numerically and the Movement gurus want people to believe that they do not segregate their fellow countrymen. Just look at the top commanders in the army or key ministers and all the top managers in the country. It is therefore important that Ugandans and the world at large be aware of this. D. Turyamureeba-Mwene Byomumparo,Mbarara. __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] President Museveni Shows Signs of Backsliding
President Museveni Shows Signs of Backsliding Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The New Times (Kigali) ANALYSISJuly 8, 2005 Posted to the web July 11, 2005 Dow JonesKigali Former US President Bill Clinton once called President Museveni a new kind of African leader and international donors tripped over themselves in granting him cash and praise. Now, however, Museveni appears to be setting himself up as president for life, his critics charge. As the leaders of the world eight most powerful countries meet in Gleneagles, Scotland, to discuss aid to Africa, what is happening in Uganda casts doubt on other African leaders anxious to secure debt relief, a free trade and more aid. In return for these things, they promise good governance, which some see as term limits in countries best known for their dictators during the Cold War. In Uganda, Museveni had found one of his biggest supporters in the World Bank in the 1990s, as he eagerly adopted economic reforms. He also was praised for taking a strong, early stand against HIV/ Aids and was the first to reverse the infection rate in Africa. However, in a confidential report obtained by The Associated Press, World Bank consultants concluded last year that Uganda "has increasingly resembled the single party systems that governed Africa from the late 1960s to the early 1990s." The researchers found that corruption at the highest levels was on the rise and threatened Uganda's economic success story. While leaders such as South African President Thabo Mbeki declare an African renaissance, countries like Uganda appear to be backsliding. "The achievements of the first decade of the Museveni regime have been steadily eroded since the 1996 elections and especially since the elections of 2001," the report concluded. Museveni's defenders insist that what is happening in Uganda is democracy at work. "You cannot be a dictator when there is a system of government that involves parliament, consultations and debate," Information Minister James Nsaba Buturo recently told the press. "Museveni has not been staying in power out of his choice. People have always wanted him to keep on." On June 28, Uganda's parliament packed with Museveni supporters took the first step to delete presidential term limits from the constitution so that Museveni could run for a third term. Outside, police were using tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters. "The dictatorship has been ushered in and this is a recipe for another round of disorder. People will now know that whoever is in power is there through manipulation," opposition legislator John Kawanga said. "We are going to see regression instead of progress." Museveni, who came to power by overthrowing a dictatorship in 1986, repeatedly promised during the 2001 elections that he would retire in 2006. Uganda's information minister, Nsaba Buturo said on June 30 that times change. "It is normal for a person to change his or her mind," he said of Museveni. "It is only fools who do not change," he emphasized. Yahoo! Mail for Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Museveni and the Third Term
Museveni and the Third Term Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site Daily Trust (Abuja) OPINIONJuly 11, 2005 Posted to the web July 11, 2005 Okello Oculi The decision by Uganda's Parliament to suspend the section of the country's constitution which stipulated that a president shall hold office for two consecutive five-year terms, was done by the wide margin of 252 votes to 50 members in opposition to the decision. The decision took place after a long campaign for the amendment of the constitution which was on high gear as far back as April 2004. Those against the motion linked the matter directly to the person of President Yoweri Museveni under the following banners: (1) the longevity of his tenure from 1986 to date which is seen as yet another version of "sit tightism" by an African leader; (2) an increasing use of terror tactics, torture and unlawful detention, without being charged to court against potential challengers to his one-party rule; (3)his government's privatization programme which has seen the selling of state-owned enterprises to members of his immediate family, South Africans, Malaysians, British and other companies; (4) his deliberate prolongation of the war in Northern Uganda as a means of distracting the army from acting against him and opening routes to corruption for top army officers through purchases or non-purchases of military equipment for the war; (5) his hidden agenda of grooming his son, who is now a senior military officer to be his successor in office; (6) his weedin g out military officers from Buganda as a way of totally preventing the rotation of power to that part of the country; (7) the fact that the longer he stays in power the more those who fought for power with him against Milton Obote and Tito Okello goverments will become too old to win elections against younger politicians and (8) his allocation of key government offices and agencies to persons from his own ethnic group, clan, or family members. Longevity in power is not alien to East Africa. Jomo Kenyata was in power long enough for the Attorney General, Charles Njonjo to enact a law making it a crime to speculate openly about the age of "Mzee" (the venerable old man). Mwalimu Nyerere was so popular with his people that he had to run away from office leaving a stadium full of those who had come to bid him farewell weeping as they drove him away to his village on the shore of Lake Victoria. President Arap Moi was forced out of office after 24 years in power by the Americans and the British who no longer needed his brutal version of politics and governance to keep Kenya's Indian Ocean coastline away from Communist Russia. The region, therefore has had a mixed record with longevity. Museveni's performance has both the good and popularity which Nyerere offered the region and the brutality and ethnic-fueled bloodshed which Arap Moi and Kenyata offered Kenyans. It is not clear, however, that those oppo sed to his continued tenure and those who support it are giving Ugandans a coherent set of alternative programme, and vision of what he has left to offer the county respectively. The nature of President Museveni's coming to power i.e. through the barrel of the gun, was always going to raise serious problems for the politics of his departure. As he himself admitted in April 2004, he had to eliminate Dr. Kayira, an ally whose activities against northerners was losing him friends in the region and inciting rebellion. Alice Lakwena and Joseph Kony,the regime's most formidable opponents for example owed their popularity to this period. He also had to eliminate opposition in the eastern part of the country. For so young a man, leaving office now may now bring back fears of reprisals from those waiting for the emperor to lose his military clothes. Such fears could make him hold on to power while becoming dangerously paranoid. This is a problem which could however be mitigated by a bold initiative of conducting a Truth and Reconciliation mechanism rather than the option of relying on a continued monopoly of barrels of guns pointed at political opponents. Museveni has worked with innovative political experiments; notably segmental recruitment of participants into political leadership as well as the involvement of women in leadership at grassroots and higher political levels. The preoccupation by his opponents with ending his tenure in office should not wittle down a robust review of his efforts at creative political engineering with a view to learning important political lessons from it. Likewise, apologists for his long tenure should not seek to cover up frank and open analysis of the role of ethnicity in his strategies for keeping power with a view to mending those elements which will become structural guarantees for violence and instability in the future. In particular, Museveni must avoid those pitfalls of anchoring regime security on political patronage based on blood and kinsh
[Ugnet] UGANDA: LRA kills 14 in northern weekend ambush
UGANDA: LRA kills 14 in northern weekend ambush 11 Jul 2005 15:56:13 GMTSource: IRINKAMPALA, 11 July (IRIN) - At least 14 people were killed on Sunday when rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) ambushed them in the district of Kitgum, about 400 km north of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, officials said on Monday. "A group of rebels ambushed a pick-up vehicle between Potika and Paloga [60 km northwest of Kitgum town]. Fourteen people have been confirmed dead and more than ten were injured," Nahman Ojwee, Kitgum district council chairman, said. Army spokesman Lt Col Shaban Bantariza said the victims were going to the market in Patika when their vehicle was ambushed and set ablaze. He said the rebels, thought to number about seven, had looted the goods in the vehicle. The head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Kitgum, Mohammed Siryon, said some of the dead were burnt in the vehicle. "The victims' bodies were still lying at the scene of the incident 24 hours later," he added. The 19-year-old war in northern Uganda pits the LRA, led by self-proclaimed mystic Joseph Kony, against the government of President Yoweri Museveni. The brutal conflict has killed tens of thousands and forced some 1.6 million people into internally displaced persons' camps in the north and east. IRIN news Discover Yahoo! Use Yahoo! to plan a weekend, have fun online & more. Check it out!___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Why is IRIN acting as Museveni's Propaganda Machinery?
"The 19-year-old war in northern Uganda pits the LRA, led by self-proclaimed mystic Joseph Kony, against the government of President Yoweri Museveni. The brutal conflict has killed tens of thousands and forced some 1.6 million people into internally displaced persons' camps in the north and east." Why is it that IRIN provideing erroneous reporting about the number of those who have died in the so called "LRA" war with Museveni's Regime? The fact of the matter is that over 1/2 of a million Ugandans have died in the war now going on in Northern Uganda...and not "tens of thousands" . IRIN needs to get it's figures correct ...other acting as Yoweri Museveni's Propaganda Machinery whose job is to minimize the suffering of the people in Northern Uganda Matek UGANDA: LRA kills 14 in northern weekend ambushMatek Opoko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: UGANDA: LRA kills 14 in northern weekend ambush 11 Jul 2005 15:56:13 GMTSource: IRINKAMPALA, 11 July (IRIN) - At least 14 people were killed on Sunday when rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) ambushed them in the district of Kitgum, about 400 km north of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, officials said on Monday. "A group of rebels ambushed a pick-up vehicle between Potika and Paloga [60 km northwest of Kitgum town]. Fourteen people have been confirmed dead and more than ten were injured," Nahman Ojwee, Kitgum district council chairman, said. Army spokesman Lt Col Shaban Bantariza said the victims were going to the market in Patika when their vehicle was ambushed and set ablaze. He said the rebels, thought to number about seven, had looted the goods in the vehicle. The head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Kitgum, Mohammed Siryon, said some of the dead were burnt in the vehicle. "The victims' bodies were still lying at the scene of the incident 24 hours later," he added. The 19-year-old war in northern Uganda pits the LRA, led by self-proclaimed mystic Joseph Kony, against the government of President Yoweri Museveni. The brutal conflict has killed tens of thousands and forced some 1.6 million people into internally displaced persons' camps in the north and east. IRIN news Discover Yahoo!Use Yahoo! to plan a weekend, have fun online & more. Check it out!___Ugandanet mailing listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] NRA, UNLA killed people in Luweero, says Ruranga
NRA, UNLA killed people in Luweero, says Ruranga HUSSEIN BOGERE KAMPALA Major Rubaramira Ruranga, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) deputy coordinator for mobilisation, has said parties are not the cause of Uganda's bloody history. 1981-86 guerrilla warHe also dismissed common belief that former president Milton Obote's Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) are solely responsible for civilian killings in Luweero during the 1981-86 guerrilla war. There have been a lot of complaints that Obote killed people. The people of Luweero were used as shields. The whole claim that the National Resistance Army (NRA) didn't kill people is bullshit. NRA caused the bloody past not the UPC, Ruranga said.He was speaking at the party's weekly press briefing at FDC offices in Najjanankumbi yesterday. Ruranga is a retired soldier who was in President Yoweri Museveni's NRA follower which captured power in 1986 after a five-year bush war that was fought mainly in Luweero. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed during the war. Asked whether the NRA participated in the killings, Ruranga said, "Anybody who has participated in war, to deny that he didn't kill a c ivilian is really missing the point." The civilians massacres in Luweero have been widely blamed on the UNLA.Obote could not have killed all those people. In the bush, we had a commander who was keeping track of everything that was taking place and kept records. Unfortunately I was not on the high command, but those who were, know what happened. I saw people die of hunger, bullets...," Ruranga said.The Luweero war was fought between the then NRA (now UPDF) and Obote's UNLA.Ruranga wondered why the government continues to claim that it didn't kill people. He said when the NRA were in the bush, the killings were blamed on Obote, who was then the president. But today when other groups like the LRA are in the bush, the killings are blamed on them. This is to create an impression that Museveni's government never kills at all, Ruranga said. The FDC Spokesman, Mr Wafula Oguttu, said they will set up a truth and reconciliation commission to loo k into the killings if they assume power next year.He said the writing off of Africa's debt burden by the developed world will not bear any good result unless African leaders change their attitudes."We would like to state that Africa's problems namely poverty, wars, low production, lack of industrialisation, poor education and low technological skills, poor health services are largely manmade. Our corrupt and dictatorial leaders are mainly responsible for Africa's woes and stagnation, he said.Wafula said no amount of donor money would cause positive change in Uganda unless the country's leaders change their attitudes.We believe Africa will not change much unless transparency and accountability, democracy, tolerance of other people's views, using the army to overstay in power and corruption are seriously tackled, he said. Wafula said Uganda will not change under President Yoweri Museveni because "the money will be stolen." "Whether you give him 50 years, not much will change because he is part of the problem. He is now asking for markets in Europe, for what? What can we make in Uganda that Museveni can sell to Europe?" Wafula asked. The eight most industrialised countries under their G8 umbrella last week in Scotland agreed to forgive debts owed to them by the world's poorest countries and at the same time increased the aid to the developing countries. More corruption"More aid money will mean more corruption, more buying of votes and loyalty and more state inspired terror and all other kinds of repression against the opposition as is the case in President Museveni's Uganda today, Wafula said.He asked the donors to be interested accountability of the money they give to Uganda . Asked whether this would not amount to interfering in Uganda's politics, Wafula said, In some of these countries, if you misappropriate even Shs5 million, you end up in jail. Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Amama Mbabazi vs The US Ambassodor Kolker? who is speaking the truth?
Fellow citizens: It does appear that Museveni's Minister Amama Mbabazi wants the people of Uganda to some how believe that when it comes to interpreting and communicating US policy on Uganda, the US Ambassador is wrong .ONLY Mr. Amama Mbabazi is CORRECT! Ambassador Jimmy Kolker, very eloquently pointed that he was at the meeting between President Bush and Museveni...and that during that meeting, Mr. Bush pointed out to Yoweri Museveni that the US is opposed to Museveni's "KISANGANI " effort to try and rule Uganda for ever. ..and now we hear Amama Mbabazi emerging and telling us that the US is actually NOT opposed to Museveni's " Kasanga project" !!! Who then should the people believe when it comes to Interpreting US policy, on Uganda? ..the US representative as in ambassador Jimmy Kolker or Mr Amama Mbabazi? Matek What Bush said on kisanja - Amama Monitor Reporter KAMPALA President Goerge Bush asked President Yoweri Museveni about plans to amend the constitution to lift presidential term limits but did not enunciate a US policy about the matter, Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi has clarified.Responding to a Sunday Monitor report quoting the US ambassador to Uganda, Mr Jimmy Kolker, that President Bush advised President Museveni to retire from politics in 2006 Mbabazi disclosed that he attended the 2003 White House meeting between the two presidents, and that the American leader only enquired about the proposed constitution amendment and if the latter was preparing to retire at the end of his second term of office.He stated that the two term limit had worked well for the US, Mbabazi said yesterday in a statement. He raised the matter by way of inquiry. President Museveni in his response said that the Ugandan leadership was studying the issue and would come up with a position when ready. ConstitutionAmama says Bush never said that Uganda should not consider amending her constitution or that, if it is amended, President Museveni should not consider offering himself for re-election. Indeed in the numerous interactions I have had with US Administration officials I have been told repeatedly that the US Administration has no problem with Uganda amending her constitution if it is done legally and transparently, he added.The minister argued that even if the US government opposed the removal of term limits, the matter is for Ugandans to decide. We can listen and even adopt foreign friendly advice, but clearly the decisions are for Ugandans to make.Ambassador Kolker said in an interview with Daily Monitors Andrew Mwenda that Mr Bush had referred to his Ugandan counterpart as a fellow rancher, and expressed the wish to retire to his ranch at the end of his term of office and hoped that Mr Museveni would do the same. Bush rep ortedly explained to Museveni the benefits of peaceful transfer of power that is made possible by respecting the constitutional term limits.In his statement yesterday, Amama Mbabazi argued that term limits on their own do not just lead to the peaceful transition, and cited several countries that have no term limits but have enjoyed peace as power passes from one leader to the next. Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items.___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Museveni is Like Hitler - MP Sabiiti
Museveni is Like Hitler - MP Sabiiti Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) July 11, 2005 Posted to the web July 11, 2005 Sam AmanyireBushenyi RUKIGA County MP Jack Sabiiti has blamed President Yoweri Museveni saying his quest for shedding blood is like that of Hitler. "Iam serious about this. Museveni should be taken to a psychaitrist because where ever he goes people die. He is like Hitler who killed indiscriminately because he was mad," Sabiiti said. Sabiiti, who is also the Financial Coordinator for the Forum For Democratic Change (FDC) was on Saturday addressing a rally at Ishaka after launching the party office in Bushenyi. He said when Museveni went to Luweero, people died and the same has happened in Gulu, Rwanda and DR Congo. "Nevertheless, FDC won't allow Museveni to continue ruling Uganda with an iron hand," Sabiiti said. Sabiiti said when he sees Museveni explaining poverty which he has deliberately caused, it makes him believe that there is something wrong with the president. "We want a peaceful country. We don't want war, but if we don't solve the issue of the presidency in this country, there will be wars," he said. He said FDC is ready to forgive Museveni just like all past presidents. "We want fairness and equity. But if he proves a rogue, Ugandans can also be worse rogues than him," Sabiiti warned. Former Army Commander, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, said, "We want for the first time to change power without war. But if you are pushed against the wall, you force your way out," he said. Muntu said the same people, who deceived Obote that he was popular, had advised Museveni wrongly. He said Museveni would manipulate his way and claim that he had been forced to stand for presidency in 2006. The FDC interim Chairperson, Ms Salamu Musumba, attended the rally.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] DR Congo villagers burnt to death
DR Congo villagers burnt to death The United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo says at least 30 people were burnt to death in their huts on Saturday night. Monuc sent 50 peacekeepers to Mamba village, in South Kivu province, to verify reports it had been attacked by Rwandan Hutu militias. They discovered a village burnt to the ground and two mass graves. Witnesses said 39 villagers, mostly women and children, had been locked in their huts which were then set ablaze. The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman in the Congolese capital Kinshasa says the massacre took place 40 km west of Bukavu in the park of Kahozi Biega, a rebel stronghold where UN peacekeepers have only recently begun patrols. The UN believes the massacre could be a warning to the local population not to co-operate with the peacekeepers. Denial Much of the South Kivu region is under the control of the FDLR, which is accused of playing a lead role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in which about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias. Speaking from his exile in Brussels, the leader of the Hutu rebels, Ignace Murwanashyaka, denied ordering the attack, and blamed a splinter group. Hutu rebels fled Rwanda and crossed into Eastern Congo 11 years ago after their alleged involvement in the Rwandan genocide. An estimated 15,000 Hutu rebels are still active and represent one of the main threats to security in the area. Several rounds of negotiations and a UN-sponsored voluntary disarmament programme have failed to restore peace to Eastern Congo. The rebels say that they will return peacefully to Rwanda only when the political situation allows, but recently the UN peacekeepers and the Congolese army have threatened to use force to disarm the militiamen. __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Brutus resident returns from Africa work
Brutus resident returns from Africa work BY KIRSTEN FREDRICKSON NEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITERMonday, July 11, 2005 3:12 PM EDT Nathan Bauer, a Brutus resident and student at Grand Valley State University, finds himself surrounded by African children. During his studies in Uganda, Bauer became impassioned to help the people, many whom endured disease, malnutrition and attacks by rebel and government soldiers. BRUTUS - Nathan Bauer may have left Africa, but Africa has not left him.After studying for several months in Uganda, the 22-year-old Brutus resident and Grand Valley State University student has helped to launch the Uganda Conflict Action Network.Now working with the Washington-based Africa Faith and Justice Network, Bauer is one of 25 committed volunteers raising awareness about the struggles those in Uganda face and to help end the 19-year-old war in Northern Uganda. It's a task that Bauer, the son of Corrine and Donald Bauer, said can be daunting. But after what he's witnessed, it's one he believes is worth it."We now have the opportunity to press for action which could contribute to ending this war," said Bauer, a Pellston High School graduate. "Together, we can rise up and demand global governance that not only acknowledges the most poor and vulnerable of our world, but aggressively works to end their suffering."Studyi ng global development and social progress at Grand Valley State University, Bauer said although his family was nervous at first, he knew he wanted to study in East Africa.Along with the 15 other students in his program, Bauer stayed with a host family in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. At first he said he had no idea how to function in the African city. Simply walking down the street was a completely new experience. "I had no idea of what to expect. I had a lot of misconceptions," he admitted. "But it's like any other city.""The pace of life is different. There's no big rush to get a million things done. You have to slow your pace down," Bauer recalled. "It took a few weeks to get acquainted (with the culture)."While studying both the language and the history of the country in the classroom, Bauer said it was the opportunities he had to go into the rural settings that really intrigued him."We were living in a mud and grass hut. We were killing our own chickens for dinner," he recalled. It was also those trips that really told the story of Africa."The sense of community there was amazing. Everyone was helping everyone," Bauer said.Fascinated by his new surroundings, it was during the second half of his studies that Bauer became impassioned by what he saw. It was during this part of his journey that he chose to venture outside of the program's designated rural trips, visiting Northern Uganda and the camps where people are forced to live in poverty."The first time we went to a camp it was really hard. They're crowded into these places with no water and no place to dispose of their waste," Bauer said.It was in these places where people daily faced imprisonment or being injured or killed by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army. Bauer said he also witnessed government soldiers stealing water from the camps and taking women away from their husbands and families. Children were sometimes stolen during the night, only to be used as soldiers in the war.Bauer said he often had to travel into these areas with an armed guard. And he and fellow students found themselves questioned by government soldiers more than once."When I rode into Coopee Trading Center Camp, an internally displaced person's camp in northern Uganda, on the back of a motorcycle," Bauer wrote in a journal entry, "I was overwhelmed by the smell of open defecation. I introduced myself at the government soldier post, and explained I was there to examine the water and sanitation situation. The soldier I was speaking to glared into my eyes and with a sharp hint of animosity told me I had 30 minutes. I had been in this situation before, and I knew that if I disobeyed his orders, I would not be leaving the camp on the motorcycle I had come in on."I quickly went to work gathering camp officials, conducting interviews and assessing the camp conditions as quickly as possible. As I walked swiftly through the maze of g rass and mud houses a man stopped me, looked square in my eyes and said, 'You're here to help us. You are welcome. We can't thank you enough; no one comes to help us any more.' We gripped each other's hands in mutual silence and I wanted the ground to swallow me, I was so humiliated. I knew I was not there to do much else than assess the situation. I knew that I would be leaving for the United States soon. I would be going back to a country where virtually no one understands the magnitude of human suffering I was surrounded by in every direction," he wrote.Bauer said the people he did speak with understand the government doesn't care about them, and feel the military response to the rebels isn't working
[Ugnet] We Don't Fear War - Otafiire
We Don't Fear War - Otafiire Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) July 12, 2005 Posted to the web July 12, 2005 Sam AmanyireBushenyi MINISTER of Lands, Water and Environment Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire has warned the opposition that the Movement does not fear going to war. "If we can fight those who have not provoked us, then what about those who have provoked us?" Otafiire asked. He was on Sunday speaking at Ruhinda SS where he was the chief guest at cerebrations to mark Heroes Day and Environment Day. He said he would not prefer war, but if that is what the opposition wants they will draw their guns. "We want to be judged by ballots and not bullets. But if that is what they want, Iam warning them that we know both ways," Otafiire said. He said President Yoweri Museveni will retain power if people want him "then we shall deal with those who do not want him to be President.' He was apparently responding to threats made the previous day by former army commander Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu at the launch of the FDC office in Ishaka town, Bushenyi. Muntu had said if the Forum for Democratic Change, were pushed against the wall, they would "force their way through". MP Jack Sabiiti had on the same day sounded similar threats that FDC has many members with military training and if Museveni became a rogue, they would be worse rogues. Otafiire described people who defected from the Movement as failures. "If you have problems in your house, do you burn it or stay in and solve them? There is no family that has no misunderstandings and running away is a sign of failure," he said. Relevant Links East Africa Legal and Judicial Affairs Uganda Conflict, Peace and Security He attacked Presidential Adviser Maj. Kakooza Mutale for taking a parallel line against the mainstream Movement by opposing the return to multiparty politics. "Mutale is frying grasshoppers together with cockroaches and is scooping clean water with the mud," Otafiire said.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] We cannot join other parties, says UPC
We cannot join other parties, says UPC HUSSEIN BOGERE KAMPALA THE Uganda People's Congress (UPC) yesterday said it will not join a coalition with any political party ahead of 2006 elections.Many political observers and some members of the opposition, the latest being the Forum for Democratic Change's Spokesman, Mr Wafula Oguttu, have been suggesting that the only way to defeat President Yoweri Museveni is by the opposition forming a coalition.It had been suggested that the opposition should front a single candidate to defeat the National Resistance Movement (NRM).UPC is a party too big to join any other party. We are not going to form another party. We agree to cooperate and advise our friends in other parties to do their politics without using UPC's name. They are misinforming our members by using our names, but they should refrain if they want the good spirit to continue, said Hajji Badru Wegulo, the UPC Constitution Steering Committee chairman, at a press briefing yesterday.He said UPC recognises that to remove the current NRM dictatorship demands the cooperation of all Ugandans in the opposition. Wegulo said UPC works with other opposition parties under the G6 arrangement.But the cooperation should not be construed to mean readiness to surrender UPC's identity as a political party.UPC stands out for its values, ideology aims and objectives as spelt out in its party constitution. There is no compromise on that position, Wegulo said.Wegulo denied allegations that some political parties had approached UPC for a coalition. This is not true since UPC has neither been approached by any other party on this matter nor negotiated any arrangement on joint candidature," Wegulo said.On Monday, the New Vision reported that UPC would combine efforts and resources with FDC to defeat Museveni in next year's elections. The newspaper quoted Maj. Edward Rurangaranga, a Uganda Peoples Congress official in Bushenyi. Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] A brief commentary
Fellow Citizens: By now all of you must have heard of the move by Yoweri Museveni's members of the so called Uganda Parliament to grant Yoweri Museveni his so called "third Term". All I can say is that a sad chapter in the Ugandan Political History is once again about to unfold. Those so called MP's who voted for Museveni's KISANGA , will most definately live to regret their decision. Let time be the judge. You will quote me in the very near future on this one. Good night! Matek Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
Re: [Ugnet] Re: [Ugandacom] A brief commentary
EM: Let politics play on... Museveni thinks he has "won"..and yet in the game of politics , like in a chess game, if one merely captures a PAWN, one cannot run arround screaming that he has "won"...only a fool does that! because the next move by the opponent could be to capture the "QUEEN" or the "KING".That then will be the end of the game. Many Ugandans are very much aware that Museveni came to power through violence means. That said , the people must exhaust all availiable avenue to bring about change in our country in a peaceful manner! That is not to say that many a Ugandan, does not know how to shoot guns and use violence which is the only language Museveni Understands. Let us watch politics Unfold!! Peace MatekEdward Mulindwa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: If Museveni did not come to power through a vote, why does voting for a third term make him stay in power? And I am starting to look at this problem from another end. Suppose all MPs voted against third term then what? Museveni would have walked? I do not think so. I think Uganda is screwed and I think those like Kasangwawo and Dr Kigongo, the Ssenyanges who preached to us the infidels that Uganda is under savior, have to realize today what we knew long ago when their relatives were eating at the cramps falling off the table. That we have a killer in power and he is not going any where, third term no third term. What in the future? Museveni will get pissed one day and even close Mengo crap. Just watch. Em Toronto The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" - Original Message - From: Matek Opoko To: ugandanet@kym.net ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 2:09 AM Subject: [Ugandacom] A brief commentary Fellow Citizens: By now all of you must have heard of the move by Yoweri Museveni's members of the so called Uganda Parliament to grant Yoweri Museveni his so called "third Term". All I can say is that a sad chapter in the Ugandan Political History is once again about to unfold. Those so called MP's who voted for Museveni's KISANGA , will most definately live to regret their decision. Let time be the judge. You will quote me in the very near future on this one. Good night! Matek Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "Ugandacom" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. ___Ugandanet mailing listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
Re: [Ugnet] Re: [Ugandacom] A brief commentary
EM: Of course some of us do realize the damage Yoweri Museveni's NRM military dictatorship has done and continues to do on the very psychic of the people of Uganda. When all is said and done, some of us can only begin to wonder aloud as to how the Tutsis ( Museveni's tribesmen) and the Acholi from Northern Uganda ( a tribe the Tutsi have been killing since day one) can ever reconcile? That said , we believe that as Ugandan nationalist, we have our job well cut out for us. we have to work extra extra hard to once again unite the people of Uganda..It is difficult, but not impossible. Matek Edward Mulindwa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Matek You and I have followed Uganda politics for many many years. A change to what? Have you evaluated the long term damage Museveni has done to the political structure of Uganda at a long time? This man is so shrewd that he has damaged Uganda for a long haul. Look on Buganda and the king installation, are you among the people who think this was done for the better of Buganda or to kill this Kingdom for good? Matek let me say this , any day Museveni leaves power Uganda will become worse than today, for the damage he has done to Uganda as a society, needs more than a leader change. And you know how many predictions I have done on this nation. Em Toronto The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" - Original Message - From: Matek Opoko To: ugandanet@kym.net Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 11:23 AM Subject: Re: [Ugnet] Re: [Ugandacom] A brief commentary EM: Let politics play on... Museveni thinks he has "won"..and yet in the game of politics , like in a chess game, if one merely captures a PAWN, one cannot run arround screaming that he has "won"...only a fool does that! because the next move by the opponent could be to capture the "QUEEN" or the "KING".That then will be the end of the game. Many Ugandans are very much aware that Museveni came to power through violence means. That said , the people must exhaust all availiable avenue to bring about change in our country in a peaceful manner! That is not to say that many a Ugandan, does not know how to shoot guns and use violence which is the only language Museveni Understands. Let us watch politics Unfold!! Peace MatekEdward Mulindwa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: If Museveni did not come to power through a vote, why does voting for a third term make him stay in power? And I am starting to look at this problem from another end. Suppose all MPs voted against third term then what? Museveni would have walked? I do not think so. I think Uganda is screwed and I think those like Kasangwawo and Dr Kigongo, the Ssenyanges who preached to us the infidels that Uganda is under savior, have to realize today what we knew long ago when their relatives were eating at the cramps falling off the table. That we have a killer in power and he is not going any where, third term no third term. What in the future? Museveni will get pissed one day and even close Mengo crap. Just watch. Em Toronto The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" - Original Message - From: Matek Opoko To: ugandanet@kym.net ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 2:09 AM Subject: [Ugandacom] A brief commentary Fellow Citizens: By now all of you must have heard of the move by Yoweri Museveni's members of the so called Uganda Parliament to grant Yoweri Museveni his so called "third Term". All I can say is that a sad chapter in the Ugandan Political History is once again about to unfold. Those so called MP's who voted for Museveni's KISANGA , will most definately live to regret their decision. Let time be the judge. You will quote me in the very near future on this one. Good night! Matek Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "Ugandacom" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. ___Ugandanet mailing listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___Ugandanet mailing listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/___Ugandanet mailing listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://k
[Ugnet] No murders Mr Wilson, we're British
No murders Mr Wilson, we're British Mike MolloyWednesday July 13, 2005The Guardian Turning away from the acres of heart-rending coverage devoted to the bombings on Sunday, I came upon a reminder of gentler times in the Observer. It was Roy Hattersley's review of my old friend Bernard Donoughue's diaries of the Wilson years. As well as writing for the Guardian, these days Lord Hattersley is to be found more often toiling in the vineyards of the Daily Mail. A strange place for an elder statesman of the People's Party to be earning a crust, but, as the piano player in the bawdy house remarked: "At least they don't tell me what tunes to play!" In the Observer, Lord Hattersley was taking Lord Donoughue to task for sneaking. Huffing and puffing in a decidedly Pooterish fashion, he claimed that publishing gossipy diaries instead of respectable political memoirs is a disgrace. Don't you love the Labour party? Personally, I look forward to reading the Donoughue diaries. The machinations of the Labour party hierarchy in the Wilson years, and the sheer, bitchy, hair-pulling jealousies puts one in mind of a Jilly Cooper novel about a girl's boarding school. But I doubt if the diaries contain my favourite anecdote of that time. Joe Haines told me the story. I'm pretty sure I remember it accurately and Lady Falkender doesn't even get a mention. Harold Wilson called for Joe, who was No 10 press secretary in those days, and engendering the same degree of hatred from the press, the BBC, and the Tory party as Alastair Campbell later achieved in the same job. When Haines arrived, the prime minister was uneasy and did not quickly come to the point, which was rare for the man. In his prime, Wilson's mind was as sharp as a bag of broken glass. But that day he hummed and hawed, he sipped his brandy and endlessly puffed on a cigar, all the time mumbling about the intelligence reports of appalling atrocities committed almost daily by an African Commonwealth leader. Finally, Joe forced the point. Asking, with that somewhat cruel incisiveness for which he is well known, "Do you want to know if we should get Idi Amin bumped off?" Wilson shied like a Church of England vicar asked if he believed in heaven. "Well, he's . . . that is, he's . . . the truth is Joe, our agents report he's been eating people. It's got to stop. So, what are we going to do?" Haines answered, "I'm usually against capital punishment but he's killing about 7,000 people a week. In this case I'm for it." "I'll call the Foreign Office," said Wilson. A senior mandarin was summoned. After the problem was explained, the Foreign Office chap acted with stunned disbelief. Drawing himself up, he thundered, "Sir, we are the Foreign Office. We do not have people murdered!" There was a longish pause and someone said, "What about the MoD?" With an upper lip stiffened by Whitehall protocol, the man acknowledged that putting people to death did have a sort of distant connection with the MoD's business of the day. "The problem is, prime minister," he said, "we just don't have the sort of chaps trained to carry out the kind of work you have in mind." "But, you've got the entire army," protested Wilson. "Yes," he agreed. "And if you wanted to invade Uganda with an army, or even a brigade, that would be fine - provided the chiefs of staff are in accord, of course. We just don't have a chap who can pop over there and get the job done like they do in the cinema." "What about MI5?" "Frightfully sorry, sir. They deal with internal threats and security." "MI6?" "Actually, sir, no one does that sort of thing. At least not at a high level. We all have a bit of an understanding that we don't go around knocking off each other's heads of state." "Are you saying the secret agents of all countries have given up on assassination?" "Well, yes, since that chap stabbed the fellow with the poisoned umbrella tip." "Are you serious?" "Certainly. Look at the Americans. When they wanted Castro removed they had to ask the Mafia to do it for them. And that didn't work. All that happened was everyone ended up laughing at them. We wouldn't want that." Wilson gave up, and Amin lived on. So did the myth of the ruthless government assassins so beloved of fiction. Maybe it's different now. Perhaps there is a secret world where executions are sanctioned by ministers over glasses of malt whisky, but I doubt it. The problem is, these days, I'm not absolutely sure which world I prefer. Edward's war chest At some time in their adult lives more than three-quarters of the population dream of having tea with the Queen. The dream is such a commonly shared experience that the Pet Shop Boys even wrote a song about it. I haven't actually heard it, being a Billie Holiday kind of a fan myself, but isn't it amazing what serendipitous pieces of information arrive via the internet? The next time I see the Queen, I mean to ask her what she thinks about this preoccupation shared by so many of her subje
[Ugnet] Kisanja success an anti-climax
Kisanja success an anti-climax Dani W. Nabudere Mbale President Museveni can now rest, relieved that his struggle to amend the constitution to accommodate his quest for an undetermined length of his presidency, has now been achieved. Both national newspapers reported that the kisanja supporters in parliament had celebrated their victory! when the Bill was passed into an Act of Parliament. But this is really comical, because it these same people who were paid to ensure they voted the way they did. So it comes as a comical tragedy that these gentlemen celebrate what they were supposed to do and not what they believed in. What a country Uganda has become!For the President, the victory comes as an anti-climax as well. Having played a monkey's game that the amendment of the constitution had nothing to do with him as an incumbent has all come out clearly to be a manipulation. This manipulation will go down in history to haunt him. He is fully exposed as someone bent on hanging on to power come what may. But that is also his undoing, as the situation will increasingly focus on him from now onwards. Indeed a number of falsehoods come out clearly to expose his role in this episode as a manipulator of the people.The first is his argument that kisanja was a peoples movement. The Ssempebwa Constitutional Review Commission made it clear that the issue of kisanja was never raised in any of the public hearings they attended. The President wanted the world to believe otherwise. PRO KISANJA: Mary Karooro Okurut Now at the end of it all, the masses have not come out to celebrate their victory. On the contrary all FM radio stations have been full of questioning of what parliament has done. If the President thought this was a peoples movement he will have to act like all dictators do and get the people to cheer him whenever he wants them to do. But this has yet to come! The people have not so far turned out to do his bidding.The second falsehood was that the resolutions passed at Kyankwanzi by the ruling Movement National Executive Community (NEC) and its National Conference expressed the will of the LC officials who read them, because this was the only basis upon which the Cabinet made their proposals to the Ssempebwa Commission. None of these LC3 chairmen have sent any messages of congratulations on the occasion of this victory, which proves that they were also paid for the purpose to contrive all these so-called memoranda. Can these officials stand up and be counted in their own areas to have supported the kisanja on behalf of their people? I doubt it.Thirdly, the manipulation of the UPDF to support the kisanja against the constitutional provisions that enjoins them not to be partisan has also exposed the falsehood that the UPDF is a national army. Col. Fred Bogere, who abstained on the initial vote on Kisanja, will stand out as a real challenge to this falsehood and myth. The UPDF now find they do not know what to do with him because he has brought out the lie in the open and all Ugandans are watching to see how those who manipulate the constitution will now do to him. He is the hero of this constitution making manipulation, which he has helped to expose. He has really cut a role for himself as the only Ugandan UPDF officer who can create a national army!Finally, the very objective of the manipulation of the constitutional review has come out on the very day the Bill was passed. This is the fact that the real strategy laid out at Kyankwanzi was that the President was prepared to Open up the political space on condition that those who wanted to go could go (tubaleke bagende), while the Movement would remain in place. This is why the President argued recently that the referendum was not about changing the political system. It was, he said; about letting those who want to leave the Movement do so. Please note that this also what the referendum question also asks! Is it by coincidence? Who wrote the question? Therefore, the trade-off was what it was and so it is. So when the president promised to campaign for a return to multipartism, this was on the understanding that nothing would change since he is the Movement and Maj. Kakoza Mutale is right in telling people not to join the National Resistance Movement party because to do so is to accept that the referendum is about changing the political system, when it is not! Thus the president and Kakoza Mutale are talk ing the same thing. That is why in the papers of 13th July, the headlines combined the lie when the news of the kisanja victory was reported side-by-side with the news that the president was now going out to campaign for a return to multipartism. Luckily, The G7 parties did not play to the game and have left the president to play to his gimmicks with his political adviser because they are the only campaigners in this referendum! So while it is two weeks away before the referendum to change the political system most U
