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VIOLENCE: Siraje Abdallah shows the injury he sustained |
By Frank Mugabi
BODA BODA cyclists supporting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and those for the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) violently clashed in Adjumani town on Friday morning as Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu was about to launch the FDC office in the area.
A cyclist supporting the NRM, whom the assistant secretary for Adjumani Boda boda Association, Abdurazak Keyaga, identified as Siraje Abdallah, was severely injured in the fracas.
About 30 cyclists were involved in the clash during which they kicked each other and exchanged blows.
Siraje, in a yellow Movement T-shirt, sustained deep cuts around his right eye after Rashid Kawawa of the FDC allegedly struck him with a bottle.
The presence of senior party chiefs, including Prof. Ogenga Latigo, Maj.(Rtd) Rubaramira Ruranga, John Arumadri and Kassiano Wadri in a procession led by the cyclists around the town, excited the residents.
Keyaga said the fight followed a heated argum
ent
between the FDC and the NRM cyclists as they lined up at a Shell filling station for free fuel.
“The two groups were arguing about politics when they started boxing each other. In the process, Siraje was hit with a bottle, which almost damaged his eye,” Keyaga said.
He was admitted to a private clinic for treatment. Muntu intervened to calm the situation.
District Police chief Nazarius Mugisha said Siraje registered an assault case against Kawawa, which they were investigating. He said he also deployed the mobile patrol Police to monitor the situation.
The FDC head of northern mobilisation and Terego MP, Kassiano Wadri, condemned the violence and urged the people of Adjumani to practise politics of tolerance.
“Let politics not divide us. We are peacefully gathered here as Muslims, Catholics, Protestants and even those that do not believe in God. We should look at politics like a religion,” Wadri said.
Meanwhile, Dradenya Amazia reports that speaking a
t
another FDC function in Moyo on Saturday, Muntu warned against changing the Constitution because people shed blood for it to be written.
Addressing over 200 people at the launch of the FDC office at the Mayor’s Gardens in Moyo town, Muntu said President Museveni wanted to change article 105 of the Constitution to get a third term.
“Museveni, on February 6, 1981, became a guerrilla because the 1980 elections were rigged. The army fought and shed blood to have the Constitution written so that the past mistakes are not repeated,” he said.
He said the NRM was making the same mistakes that propelled it to go to war.
“There were deceptions, manipulations, blackmail, bribery and intimidation of voters, which made us fight for the rule of law, but today, we are seeing different things. We want the Constitution to remain as it is,” he said.
Flanked by Wadri, Arumadri, Latigo, Rurangaranga, Kamala Kanamwangi and Asaf Ntanda, Muntu said the country was tired of war
and
needed a peaceful transition to multipartyism.
“If he (Museveni) intends to run in 2006, he should not come with a mind that he is going to win. He should be psychologically prepared to leave office when floored by FDC,” he said.
He said the Moyo office was the ninth against none for the NRM and that they would have an office in each district by the end of this month.
Ends
Published on: Monday, 16th May, 2005 |
