[Ugnet] The Urban Dweller
To my beloved Mayor The Urban Dweller battles the Rains - The latest hit in Kampala is KNigeria bottle a man and save energy all billboards and radio stations have announced the song now we know. - And Wittgenstein Ludwig a former chair and predecessor to Isaac Newton was asked the most difficult thing to do, he replied, helping a fly out of a bottle. - On Hoima road at the so called Kasubi market heavy down pour has swept all mud on the newly constructed Kasubi road, down the gullies to cover the emerging pot holes near the gas station, indeed KCC will have no job to do there and then. - Further ahead rainwater has swept the road clean of all tribes of garbage offering drainage water an opportunity to hop over dug trenches into the road. - Wonderful Kampala City Council. At times one is caught between crying and laughter! - Rubigi has been camaraderie to bicycle transporters, turning pedestrians bad luck into a BodaBoda money-minting occasion. I was about to shout Swines, Buffons but - From Bwaise across the big swamp to Hoima road disaster has struck. - Heavens opened up for a concrete four hours marathon and hell broke loose like nothing youve never seen before. - Water among the African, is fantastic scenery of bizarre absurdity. It was time for me to catch a glimpse on reality is it termed a real time event? - My fine shoe had betrayed me at first trying to squeeze myself on now very narrow pavements to save the shine on it. - This is Kampala in Afrika blame God who created rain! - BodaBoda cyclists never offered space for quick locomotion, have long hijacked the pavements to escape natures calamity. - Water was in direct battle, a serious confrontation with the African. - All the same, I hit the road for no time is better than this time to understand the battle on Kampala streets and its suburbs, between rains, citizen merchants and their merchandise. - Poor me forced off the pavement a Matatu came to an instant stop, a squeal to be precise, almost knocking me off the road. Instantly a passenger jumps out a smartly dressed lady of no cheap variety. - A handbag swung turns it into an umbrella covering well-tended hairstyle I mean a hair do, now heavily bombarded with tropic torrential rains and nowhere to hide - gods tears turn a hair do into disorder. - With a sudden bust of motor engines BodaBoda cyclist had spotted a coin and tens of them almost ride into her calling on top of their voice Mamma tugende (Madam board this one). - Uganda and her citizens are gripped into market terrorism, a hysteria only comparable to paranoia. - Newspaper vendors and many other clans of ware peddlers, whenever wind blows water into their direction they squeeze further into the legs standing above them! - Kampala becomes more exciting and awesome. - I mind my own business I have to pick my gumboots to catch on a battle of wits; as water battles the citizens. - Matatus are at a standstill in their insect file motion reason being there is low traffic police manning the junctions. - The sole one I have seen at a junction is drenched all through I remembered recent TV documentary of crumbling police resident at Naguru- I feel so sorry for the guy. -UTODA (what does it stand for!) hey hey; yes they are called traffic wardens are hidden away from the elements. Chaos becomes an ordered. - 30 minutes jammed in a terrible traffic pack, a distance of not less than 500 meters is covered. - I jump off the ramshackle piece of steel and hit the street again heading towards a business mercantile lane down town mayor. - A milliard of merchandise stacked away in heavy white and black polythene bags as does business proprietors tells of the misery Kampalians and Ugandans face on a daily basis. - Water can be really treacherous, some wooden benches, rakes or something like that have been thrown off their crooked legs just by sheer force are floating down into the streets. - Trust Matatu drivers as owner pick their pieces, they Matatu driver dog them at such terrible speed missing them by a whisker. - Driving was created in Uganda I reason for once. - Water rapider - is a testing time especially for women- I look over and virtually all street traders stand still in a heavy down pour covered in polythene bags close to their merchandise. - Everywhere! - Kampala City council is a deny of incompetence, a paradise of dupes, bedbugs only good for nothing- does KCC have an investment fund? -Previously I have been trying my eyes on Uganda owned buildings NONE and true to Africanism few if none is full furnished and finished. Political science and kyankwanzi ideology. - Kampala skyline
RE: [Ugnet] Poor Ugandan VP
Very strange indeed if the truth percentage is substantial!! Ordinarily, a legislator is expected to remember the laws they legislate. Third term or no third term it all has to be provided in the Law / constitution. Equally so, the procedures for amending the same. If they want third term, well, let them go ahead and start with the LAW. It is all about the LAW that provides for the rules of the game for all parties. --- On Fri 04/29, B Wambuga [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:From: B Wambuga [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]To: ugandanet@kym.netDate: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 18:24:46 -0700 (PDT)Subject: [Ugnet] Poor Ugandan VP Netters,Once again I sympathise with our Ugandan VP in his reaction to the British move to cut Aid to Uganda. One wonders how VP Bukenya could not tell the difference between the British third term and dictator Museveni's third term. Bukenya should realise that Blair followers do not have to wear "Bisanja", and go bamboozling people everywhere and Blair blasting out about whether the British want it or not, he will still be there for fifty years. Furthermore, Blair and his party do not have to muzzle the Britts and drag them to a referendum about changing any system. I see they are really beggining to act erratically. They know that they are falling now. Remember Mr. Aziz? The Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, criticised the British government for practicing what he termed double standard on the question of the third term.The British oppose the third term pushed by Ugandans simply because we are poor and we cannot st and up and tell them off, Bukenya said on Tuesday while addressing members of the Uganda Local Government Association from 10 districts in the Central region at Mpigi.He said: Let the British High Commissioner to Uganda first advise Tony Blair to stop seeking a third term before he opposes Museveni. Bwambuga. __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___Ugandanet mailing listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding.Make My Way your home on the Web - http://www.myway.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] Kony Attacks Sudan
Kony Attacks Sudan Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite New Vision (Kampala) April 30, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Anne MugisaKampala THE Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony is abducting Sudanese children and conscripting them into his army after being beaten in Uganda, religious leaders have said. Members of the Inter-Faith Action for Peace told journalists in Kampala on Wednesday that Kony had turned his wrath on Sudanese children, which is likely to perpetuate the northern conflict. The Christian, Baha'i, Hindu and Muslim representatives had just returned from an inter-faith continental peace summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, which attracted participants from Brazil, Canada, Iceland, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq and the US. UPDF spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza yesterday said he had not heard about the development, but said Kony had gone back to his strongholds, from where he had been dislodged. He said Sudanese government troops pushed the LRA from Juba, forcing them to flee to Nisitu, Lubangatek and Bin Rwot. Relevant Links East Africa North Africa Arms and Military Affairs Children and Youth Religion Uganda Human Rights Civil War and Communal Conflict Sudan "That is where we beat them in 2002 and that is where they had their big camps then. We will go for them," Bantariza said. Meanwhile, the LRA ambushed and killed nine people, who were travelling in a convoy in southern Sudan, a minister in the regional southern Sudan government 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] Thugs Attempt to Burn FDC Boss's Home
Thugs Attempt to Burn FDC Boss's Home Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite The Monitor (Kampala) May 2, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Robert MuherezaKabale The police are investigating a case in which unknown people attempted to burn the home of the District Treasurer for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Mr Charles Kagabo, with petrol on Thursday night. The home is on Kigongi Road in Kabale town. The District Police Commander, Mr Martin Amoru, told The Monitor on Friday that Kagabo had reported the case to the police. He said inquiries had started, but no suspect had been arrested. "This is intimidation and harassment we have been talking about. I heard some unknown people walking around my house at around midnight and after a while the whole house was smelling petrol. I made an alarm and I think it scared them away," Kagabo said on Friday. He said he suspected some government agents were behind the plot to kill him or intimidate him to abandon FDC. "I cannot defect to the Movement just because of intimidation. I support FDC and I will continue supporting it," he said. In November last year, Kagabo reported a case to Kabale Police Station in which unknown people scattered 10 bullets in his compound probably with an intention to frame him. The police said they were still investigating the case. No suspect has ever been arrested. The district councillor for Southern Division and FDC District Mobiliser, Mr Isaiah Kanyamahane, said they had registered several cases of political persecution which he said they suspected the government was using to sabotage their mobilisation. Relevant Links East Africa Crime and Corruption Uganda "The government fears to lose power. That is why they have seriously embarked on terrorising us the leaders and our supporters countrywide," Kagabo said. Several FDC members in various districts especially in western Uganda have accused the government of intimidation.__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] The Bush administration has forged a close intelligence partnership with the Islamic regime that once welcomed Osama bin Laden here,
THE WORLD Official Pariah Sudan Valuable to America's War on Terrorism Despite once harboring Bin Laden, Khartoum regime has supplied key intelligence, officials say. Photos Critic (Reuters) Strongman (Reuters) Graphics April 29, 2005 Times Headlines Bomb Attacks Persist in Iraq Some Judges in Egypt Lend Voice to Chorus for Reform Looking to Feed a Big Appetite for Whale Meat in South Korea North Korea May Have Fired Missile 85 Men Are Determined Harmless and Freed From U.S. Jails in Afghanistan more Most E-mailed Far-off healing First Lady Steals the Show A Degree of Isolation at New UC Merced more e-mailed stories UNITED STATES SUDAN FOREIGN RELATIONS SUDAN FOREIGN RELATIONS THE WORLD UNITED STATES By Ken Silverstein, Times Staff Writer KHARTOUM, Sudan The Bush administration has forged a close intelligence partnership with the Islamic regime that once welcomed Osama bin Laden here, even though Sudan continues to come under harsh U.S. and international criticism for human rights violations.The Sudanese government, an unlikely ally in the U.S. fight against terror, remains on the most recent U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. At the same time, however, it has been providing access to terrorism suspects and sharing intelligence data with the United States. Last week, the CIA sent an executive jet here to ferry the chief of Sudan's intelligence agency to Washington for secret meetings sealing Khartoum's sensitive and previously veiled partnership with the administration, U.S. government officials confirmed. A decade ago Bin Laden and his fledgling Al Qaeda network were based in Khartoum. After they left for Afghanistan, the regime of Sudanese strongman Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir retained ties with other groups the U.S. accuses of terrorism. As recently as September, then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell accused Sudan of committing genocide in putting down an armed rebellion in the western province of Darfur. And the administration warned that the Afri can country's conduct posed "an extraordinary threat to the national security" of the United States.Behind the scenes, however, Sudan was emerging as a surprisingly valuable ally of the CIA. The warming relationship has produced significant results, according to interviews with American and Sudanese intelligence and government officials. They disclosed, for example, that: Sudan's Mukhabarat, its version of the CIA, has detained Al Qaeda suspects for interrogation by U.S. agents. The Sudanese intelligence agency has seized and turned over to the FBI evidence recovered in raids on suspected terrorists' homes, including fake passports. Sudan has expelled extremists, putting them into the hands of Arab intelligence agencies working closely with the CIA. The regime is credited with foiling attacks against American targets by, among other things, detaining foreign militants moving through Sudan on their way to join forces with Iraqi insurgents.Sudan has "given us specific information that is important, functional and current," said a senior State Department official who agreed to discuss intelligence matters on condition of anonymity. The official acknowledged that the Mukhabarat could become a "top tier" partner of the CIA. "Their competence level as a service is very high," the official said. "You can't survive in that part of the world without a good intelligence service, and they are in a position to provide significant help." From Khartoum the view is markedly upbeat."American intelligence considers us to be a friend," said Maj. Gen. Yahia Hussein Babiker, a senior official in Sudan's government. During an interview at the presidential palace, Babiker said Sudan had achieved "a complete normalization of our relations with the CIA."Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, who otherwise declined comment for this article, tol d The Times: "We have a strong partnership with the CIA. The information we have provided has been very useful to the United States."The paradox of a U.S.-Sudanese intelligence partnership is personified by Gosh. Members of Congress accused him and other senior Sudanese officials of directing military attacks against civilians in Darfur. During the 1990s, the Mukhabarat assigned Gosh to be its Al Qaeda minder. In that role he had regular contacts with Bin Laden, a former Mukhabarat official confirmed.Today, Gosh is keeping in contact with the office of CIA Director Porter J. Goss and senior agency officials.In exchange for the collaboration, which has been largely unpublicized, Khartoum wants to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. It is also pressing Washington to lift long-standing economic sanctions barring most trade between the two countries."There can be a strong [intelligence] partnership, but there is some hesitat ion because the diplomatic
[Ugnet] Fwd: The Bush administration has forged a close intelligence partnership with the Islamic regime that once welcomed Osama bin Laden here,
Note: forwarded message attached.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ---BeginMessage--- THE WORLD Official Pariah Sudan Valuable to America's War on Terrorism Despite once harboring Bin Laden, Khartoum regime has supplied key intelligence, officials say. Photos Critic (Reuters) Strongman (Reuters) Graphics April 29, 2005 Times Headlines Bomb Attacks Persist in Iraq Some Judges in Egypt Lend Voice to Chorus for Reform Looking to Feed a Big Appetite for Whale Meat in South Korea North Korea May Have Fired Missile 85 Men Are Determined Harmless and Freed From U.S. Jails in Afghanistan more Most E-mailed Far-off healing First Lady Steals the Show A Degree of Isolation at New UC Merced more e-mailed stories UNITED STATES SUDAN FOREIGN RELATIONS SUDAN FOREIGN RELATIONS THE WORLD UNITED STATES By Ken Silverstein, Times Staff Writer KHARTOUM, Sudan The Bush administration has forged a close intelligence partnership with the Islamic regime that once welcomed Osama bin Laden here, even though Sudan continues to come under harsh U.S. and international criticism for human rights violations.The Sudanese government, an unlikely ally in the U.S. fight against terror, remains on the most recent U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. At the same time, however, it has been providing access to terrorism suspects and sharing intelligence data with the United States. Last week, the CIA sent an executive jet here to ferry the chief of Sudan's intelligence agency to Washington for secret meetings sealing Khartoum's sensitive and previously veiled partnership with the administration, U.S. government officials confirmed. A decade ago Bin Laden and his fledgling Al Qaeda network were based in Khartoum. After they left for Afghanistan, the regime of Sudanese strongman Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir retained ties with other groups the U.S. accuses of terrorism. As recently as September, then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell accused Sudan of committing genocide in putting down an armed rebellion in the western province of Darfur. And the administration warned that the Afri can country's conduct posed "an extraordinary threat to the national security" of the United States.Behind the scenes, however, Sudan was emerging as a surprisingly valuable ally of the CIA. The warming relationship has produced significant results, according to interviews with American and Sudanese intelligence and government officials. They disclosed, for example, that: Sudan's Mukhabarat, its version of the CIA, has detained Al Qaeda suspects for interrogation by U.S. agents. The Sudanese intelligence agency has seized and turned over to the FBI evidence recovered in raids on suspected terrorists' homes, including fake passports. Sudan has expelled extremists, putting them into the hands of Arab intelligence agencies working closely with the CIA. The regime is credited with foiling attacks against American targets by, among other things, detaining foreign militants moving through Sudan on their way to join forces with Iraqi insurgents.Sudan has "given us specific information that is important, functional and current," said a senior State Department official who agreed to discuss intelligence matters on condition of anonymity. The official acknowledged that the Mukhabarat could become a "top tier" partner of the CIA. "Their competence level as a service is very high," the official said. "You can't survive in that part of the world without a good intelligence service, and they are in a position to provide significant help." From Khartoum the view is markedly upbeat."American intelligence considers us to be a friend," said Maj. Gen. Yahia Hussein Babiker, a senior official in Sudan's government. During an interview at the presidential palace, Babiker said Sudan had achieved "a complete normalization of our relations with the CIA."Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, who otherwise declined comment for this article, tol d The Times: "We have a strong partnership with the CIA. The information we have provided has been very useful to the United States."The paradox of a U.S.-Sudanese intelligence partnership is personified by Gosh. Members of Congress accused him and other senior Sudanese officials of directing military attacks against civilians in Darfur. During the 1990s, the Mukhabarat assigned Gosh to be its Al Qaeda minder. In that role he had regular contacts with Bin Laden, a former Mukhabarat official confirmed.Today, Gosh is keeping in contact with the office of CIA Director Porter J. Goss and senior agency officials.In exchange for the collaboration, which has been largely unpublicized, Khartoum wants to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. It is also pressing
[Ugnet] Japan Boosts Peace Efforts in North
Japan Boosts Peace Efforts in North Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite New Vision (Kampala) April 30, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 John OmodingKampala THE Japanese government is committed to bringing peace to northern Uganda, Mari Yamauchi, an official from the Japanese mission to the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, has said. "The Japanese government is trying to consolidate peace in Africa. Japan, together with its partners, is working out modalities on how to bring about peace in northern Uganda," Mari said. She was addressing the internally displaced persons in Obuku camp in Soroti municipality on Tuesday. She was on her first trip to Africa. Relevant Links East Africa Civil War and Communal Conflict Asia, Australia, and Africa Uganda Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution Aid and Assistance UNICEF-supported se-ctors in Soroti include education, health and nutrition, water and sanitation. UNICEF country representative Martin Mogwanja said they received assistance of US$9.2m in March from the Japanese government, towards children and women in war areas.__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] Army Kills 10 Rebels..but only two bodies of perhaps children recovered
Army Kills 10 Rebels Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite New Vision (Kampala) April 30, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Kampala The Army killed 10 rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA),captured three and rescued four captives during attacks in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts on Wednesday, reports Alex Odongo. Northern UPDF spokesman Lt. Tabaro Kiconco said two guns, six magazines and 90 bullets were recovered. Kiconco said the army would continue hitting the LRA, who were mutilating civilians. Kiconco said the 11th battalion at Paibona in Awach sub-county attacked a group of LRA led by rebel commander Odong Mufrefu, killing more than eight rebels, although only two bodies were recovered. He said the rest drowned in River Abera. Relevant Links East Africa Uganda Arms and Military Affairs Civil War and Communal Conflict Kiconco said on the same day, the 105 battalion hit a group of rebels led by Brig. Ocan Bunia near Awich forest in Palaro sub-county in Aswa county, killing one rebel and capturing two sergeants, of whom one was the wife of Bunia. Kiconco also said another rebel was killed, one was captured and three captives were rescued near Abura in Nwoya county.__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] Opposition to Sue Government Over Referendum
Opposition to Sue Government Over Referendum Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite The Monitor (Kampala) May 2, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Peter Nyanzi Agness NandutuKampala Six mainstream opposition parties, the G6, are readying themselves for a legal challenge against the constitutionality of a referendum to decide the country's future political system. But the Information Minister, Dr James Nsaba Buturo, said opposition politicians "are people who do not want the country to move forward." For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here.(Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. "Our legal teams sat on Friday and resolved that there are very strong grounds to challenge its [referendum] legality in the courts of law. This time the G6 are moving together as a team," a member of DP's legal team, who declined to be named, said by phone yesterday. "The Constitutional Court declared the Movement system none functional... So we are changing from what system to what?" This will be the first time the G6 is moving as a block to take on the government in court.In the past the Democratic Party (DP) and the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) filed separate petitions against the government. The G6 includes; UPC, DP, the Free Movement, the Conservative Party (CP), Jeema and FDC. The coordinating chairman of the G6, Mr Chapaa Karuhanga, said, "Our legal team is set to challenge the government politically and legally. We want to show the world what is going on in the country under Museveni." Karuhanga said the G6 is contesting the legality of Parliament's action last week, which rescinded a motion to hold a referendum, which the government had lost by six votes. DP chief Dr Paul K. Ssemogerere and his deputy, Mr Zachary Olum, successfully petitioned the Constitutional Court, which nullified the Referendum (Political Systems) Act under which the referendum was held on June 29, 2000. But the government appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the results of the 2000 referendum were valid but agreed that the Act, which set up the plebiscite, had been unconstitutional. Last week, the State Minister for Gender, Mr Sam Bitangaro, moved a motion to rescind a decision reached by Parliament on April 21, which had defeated the referendum motion. At least 189 MPs supported the motion, paving way for the motion to be re-introduced this week. The opposition MPs warned that court battles were inevitable because Rule 53(3) of parliamentary rules of procedure had been breached. The rule reads: "It is out of order to attempt to reconsider any specific question which the House has come to a conclusion during the current session except upon a substantive motion for rescission." The FDC Vice President, Ms Salaam Musumba (Bugabula), said her legal team has finalised discussions on how to proceed with the court action. She said the opposition would seek the interpretation of the Constitutional Court on the matter. Buturo said on phone, "The government and an overwhelming majority of MPs were happy with the decision to hold a referendum and the proceedings in the House. Those who were not happy can go ahead and seek redress in court." The FDC deputy coordinator, Mr Augustine Ruzindana (Ruhama), said it is a dangerous development when government cannot accept defeat. "It is dangerous when something like this happens and you do not challenge it. It means you have licensed it."he said. Relevant Links East Africa Uganda Legal and Judicial Affairs He said G6 are finalising the documentation and would go to court as soon as possible. If the opposition goes ahead with the court action, it will be yet another intriguing court battle between the opposition and the government. Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] U.S. Names Lra Rebels On World's Top Terrorist List
U.S. Names Lra Rebels On World's Top Terrorist List Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite The Monitor (Kampala) April 30, 2005 Posted to the web April 29, 2005 Kakaire A. KirundaMbale The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels remain among the world's top terrorist organisations listed by US State Department in its annual 2004 terrorism report. The report Country Reports on Terrorism 2004 was released on Wednesday in Washington. It shows terrorist groups that were active over the past year. "This group (LRA) has carried out acts of extreme brutality against innocent civilians, kidnapping children for use as soldiers and sex slaves and operates in northern and eastern Uganda and southern Sudan," said the report. It singles out the February LRA attack on the Barlonyo refugee camp near Lira that left nearly 200 people dead as the most deadly in 2004. But the report notes that during 2004, the Sudanese government cooperated with the Ugandan government to cut off supplies to the LRA and to allow the UPDF operate on Sudanese territory. "The Ugandan government inflicted severe setbacks to the LRA. It also continued an amnesty programme for senior LRA combatants, many of whom opted to come out of the bush and accept the offer," the report said. Relevant Links East Africa International Terrorism United States, Canada and Africa Arms and Military Affairs Uganda Civil War and Communal Conflict Though fighting has continued, the report said during 2004, a combination of military pressure, officers of amnesty, and several rounds of negotiations markedly degraded the LRA capabilities due to death, desertion, and defection of senior commanders. The report said a small number of al-Qaida operatives in East Africa, particularly Somalia, continued to pose the most serious threat to American interests in the region. The $100 million US- East Africa Counter Terrorism Initiative Programme announced by President Bush in 2003, dedicated sizeable resources to improving counter terrorism capabilities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia in 2004.__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] East African PRESIDENCY to Rotate
Editorial Cartoon [ Tuesday, May 03, 2005 ] Cartoon By - Visit Gado's Web Site x Close window © 2004 NationMediaGroup 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] Museveni's master (Bwana) talketh!!!!..about the situation in Uganda
PRESS RELEASE UK SUPPORTS UGANDAS DEVELOPMENT AND POLITICAL TRANSITION Britain is committed to support Ugandas continued development and progress in reducing poverty. Our two governments signed a new budget support arrangement last December for a grant of up to £145 million over the next three years to support implementation of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). We indicated at that time that we hoped to make available £40 million in financial year 2004/05, and £50 million in 2005/06. This budget support arrangement is linked to reforms detailed in the PEAP, including macro-economic management and governance. The stability to continue to make such progress in reducing poverty will be helped by a legitimate process of political and constitutional change. Achieving the latter will involve: Establishment of the rules for multiparty competition, and the capacity to implement and monitor these, sufficiently far ahead of the 2006 elections; Separation of the organs of state from the Movement in law and practice; Unhindered and inclusive debate on political and constitutional reform, including freedom of press and association, and respect for human rights; Respect for the rule of law, an independent judiciary, constitutional processes and the strengthening of independent political institutions; Absence of significant physical intimidation or financial manipulation of the process of change. These criteria on political transition are set out in our agreement with the government alongside others relating to macro-economic and sector policies and management. All the indicators are drawn from the PEAP and are designed to ensure our support is transparent and predictable. The next tranche of budget support falls in September when there will be an assessment of performance against all the agreed indicators. When our last release of budget support fell due in March we were concerned by several aspects of the transition, including that insufficient progress had been made towards establishing a fair basis for a multi-party system. We therefore decided then to withhold £5 million (out of the total of £40 million for the financial year). Like other development partners, Britain welcomes the planned move to a multi-party system and the greater choice that will provide. Ugandans will decide who forms the next government and who leads it. Our hope is that they do so through a process that is fair.__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] US convinced of Darfur 'genocide'
Things that wanna make you H!!!... Acoording to the LA Times, in an artcile which I posted earlier, apperently the US have been conducting clandestine middle of the night cooperation with the Sudan Goverenment in the firght aginst terroroism ... and now during the day hours the US is telling us a different story all together about I hear darfur.. genocide. Where is the Credibilty of the US Government? Observers want to know? MK US convinced of Darfur 'genocide' About two million people have been forced to flee their homes in DarfurThe US is standing by its claim that Sudan is committing genocide in the Darfur region, despite a UN report stopping short of using the term. Washington called for the United Nations to set up a special court to try those accused of war crimes in the conflict in Sudan. It also urged the Security Council to consider imposing sanctions on Sudan. The report said the Council should refer the case to the International Criminal Court, a move the US opposed. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the Security Council had to take action and hold suspected war criminals in Sudan accountable. "Such grave crimes cannot be committed with impunity. That would be a terrible betrayal of the victims, and of potential future victims in Darfur and elsewhere," he said. Defining genocide Have Your Say Sudan rejected the report as unfair and incorrect, while Darfur rebel groups said it did not go far enough. Meanwhile, the African Union, which is in charge of monitoring a shaky ceasefire between the govenment and the rebels, says some of its observers were shot at on Monday while investigating a bombing that the UN blames on Sudan's government. Court rift The report - prepared by a five-member UN-appointed commission - said the Sudanese government "has not pursued a policy of genocide" although "in some instances individuals, including government officials, may commit acts with genocidal intent". The conclusion that no genocidal policy has been pursued and implemented in Darfur by the government should not be taken in any way as detracting from the gravity of the crimes UN report on Darfur Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download and install the reader here It pointed to "killing of civilians, enforced disappearances, destruction of villages, rape and other forms of sexual violence, pillaging and forced displacement, throughout Darfur". But US state department spokesman Richard Boucher took issue, saying: "We stand by the conclusion that we reached [in September 2004] that genocide had been occurring in Darfur." The report named, in secret, alleged war criminals it said should go before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Mr Boucher said the UN and the African Union should set up a tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania. He also called for the deployment of UN peacekeepers to Sudan and targeted sanctions against the government there. BBC state department correspondent Jonathan Beale says the US will discuss these proposals with Council members in the coming days but it is likely to be out of step with a number of key allies who believe the ICC should now become involved. The US does not recognise the ICC, which it fears could be used for politically motivated prosecutions of US soldiers and diplomats. Human cost More than 70,000 people have been killed in the two-year conflict that has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in Darfur and some two million have fled their homes. Many of the refugees, mostly non-Arabs, say that militiamen backed by security forces have ridden into their villages on horses and camels, slaughtering the men, raping the women and stealing whatever they can find. The Sudan government denies backing the Janjaweed militia and blames the violence on rebels who took up arms in February 2003. __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] Shame on Tambo Mbeki for Supporting Museveni: SA Sends in Police Armour as Museveni Faces Civil Unrest
SA Sends in Police Armour as Museveni Faces Civil Unrest Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite SouthScan (London) April 22, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 South Africa has supplied 30 Buffel armoured vehicles to boost the Ugandan police as the government braces itself for increased civil disturbances. The ruling National Resistance Movement is facing a legitimacy crisis. The armoured personnel carriers arrived in the country at the beginning of April and will supplement the existing five. They will then be fitted with water canons. South Africa is also one of the major suppliers of tear gas to the Ugandan Police. SA has already supplied Buffel APCs to the Ugandan army, as well as Eland armoured vehicles. Supplies come at a time when Yoweri Museveni foresees a rising tide of civil disturbances as domestic opposition steps up pressure to make him drop his bid to lift presidential term limits. They have brought into sharp focus the contradictory role of the SA arms industry in a region that the SA government is seeking to stabilize through diplomacy and peace force interventions. Its main arms maker, Denel, is nearly bankrupt and needs to show bigger profits and last month Amnesty International sharply criticized the government for turning a blind eye to illegal arms sales in the Great Lakes region. South African companies are already involved in selling hundred of tons of illegal weapons there, Amnesty said, adding that the SA government had not prosecuted any of the implicated companies. In Uganda the opposition momentum rose after Irish singer and activist Bob Geldof advised Museveni during the launch of the British-initiated Commission for Africa report to step down when his terms ends in 2006. Pro-Museveni demonstrations ensued criticizing Geldof and the UK. This was a mistake of sorts in the government's strategy; it then had to allow an opposition demonstration organized by six mainstream opposition groups led by Muwanga Kivumbi, leader of the 'Popular Resistance against Life Presidency'. Having realized the impact of the demonstration - it was aired on 140 international television stations and attracted the attention of two US senators - government cancelled a so-called 'one million march' to Kampala that organized by the 'Force For Change'(FC), led by former director of the External Security Organisation David Pulkol and ex-Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala. FC defied the ban, though a combination of military, police and local militia blocked their march to Kampala. Demonstrators were met with teargas and water cannons, bringing the central district to a full stop. Commonwealth pressure Nevertheless, Museveni remains determined to push through constitutional amendments that will, among other changes, allow him to stand again. Pro-Museveni legislators maneuvered their way into dominating two crucial parliamentary committees. One of these is the legal committee charged with drafting of an omnibus bill containing 120 amendments. He has also distributed Shs5 million to each legislator who supports him. The Commonwealth secretary general, Don Mackinnon, who visited Uganda on April 6, was aware of the machinations and reminded Museveni of the need for transparent political reforms. The West fears a flawed political process and the US has also advised him not to seek another term. Western officials have reminded the Ugandan military of the need to remain neutral. Nevertheless, Museveni is preparing for the worst. Already the inspector of the police, Maj-Gen. Katumba Wamala, has said the police will be backed up by the military. South Africa is coming increasingly into the spotlight. Officially it has remained neutral and has resisted requests from the Ugandan government to deport opposition leaders based in SA. At the same time it has been broadly supportive of the government. Analysts say that the Museveni government has produced economic prosperity in its 20-year rule, but they remain doubtful whether it can generate the conditions for a functional democracy that then can sustain economic growth. A US Central Intelligence Agency report on Uganda from February 10 this year noted an economic slowdown and cast doubt on continued economic growth, given the worrying political trends. Ugandan academics and politicians are concerned that the NRM is diverging from its original political programme. Juma Okuku Anthony, a Ugandan academic at SA's Wits University, believes that Museveni's democratic doctrine and its application since 1986 reflects more the political realities of legitimizing and maintaining power than the emergence of a novel form of democracy. The NRM's "broad-basedness was to legitimize NRM an organ with a narrow social base as it extended its grip on power", he writes. Relevant Links East Africa Southern Africa Arms and Military Affairs Uganda South Africa Conflict, Peace and Security South Africa is now awaiting a report, expected in
[Ugnet] Pizanti Fleeced of at Least US $9Million
Cheeye, Bumba Clash Over Thermal Project The Monitor (Kampala) May 2, 2005 By Charles Mwanguhya Mpagi Angelo IzamaKampala The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ms Syda Bumba, and Mr Teddy Ssezi Cheeye are locked in a bitter row over the hiring of Aggreko International Power Projects to develop a 50 megawatts (MW) thermal electricity generating plant in Kampala. Cheeye, the Director for Economic Monitoring at the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), says the $167.8 million (about Shs300 billion) project is inflated by over $9 million (about Shs16 billion). But Bumba dismissed the claims saying they lacked thorough research. Cheeye wrote to President Yoweri Museveni on April 9 saying, "The Ministry of Energy has wrongly preferred to enter into a contract of hiring generators to produce the 50MW power at an astronomical figure of $167 million covering only three years." Aggreko started assembling the thermal generators early April. When complete the project is expected to reduce on day load shedding. The New Vision on April 15 quoted the Managing Director of Uganda Electricity Transmission Company limited (UETCL) Mr Eriasi Kiyemba as saying, the project is "...Government's strategic intervention...to enable small industries and commercial enterprises to operate in the daytime as it will greatly reduce the daytime shortfall of power. Domestic consumers will have fewer days of load shedding." But Cheeye claims his investigations have uncovered corruption in the thermal equipment procurement process. Cheeye first raised the red flag on the contract in February saying the government stands to lose $9.3 million (about 162b) on the Thermal contract with Aggreko because the Ministry of Energy opted to hire the thermal generation equipment instead of outright purchase, which would save the country some money. His letters were copied to President Museveni and the Minister for General Duties Prof Mondo Kagonyera. In a strongly worded letter, Bumba said the Cabinet approved the thermal project. She said Cabinet considered options for hiring generators and direct purchase and the former was chosen because it would save time. Bumba also accused Cheeye of fronting for one of the bidders. She refers to a telephone conversation she had with Cheeye on February 1, four days before the ISO director first wrote to the President about the matter. "By the time you called, the evaluation team had not yet taken the results of the evaluation exercise to the Ministry's contracts committee to make a decision on the bidding process. The tone of your conversation was a clear signal that you were fronting for one of the companies," she wrote on February 11. She did not mention the company Cheeye was reportedly fronting for. Four companies bid for the project; they included Ms Aggreko International Projects Ltd of the United Arab Emirates [the eventual contract winners], Ms Cummins Power Generation Ltd, Uganda, Ms Mantrack Uganda Limited and Ms Jacobsen Electro AS of Norway. Aggreko won the tender in March and started installing the equipment at Lugogo Sub-station in April. "It is advisable that in future you should carry out adequate investigations before disseminating unresearched information taking up serious people's valuable time responding to it," Bumba's February 11 letter read. "It is also advisable that you as a government officer acquaint yourself with the [proper] channels of communication as laid down in the standing orders. I am therefore coping this letter to the Minister for Security who should have been the appropriate party to communicate your concerns to me." Cheeye blames the energy crisis in the country on the Ministry, saying it had a history of bungling projects and contracts. In a subsequent letter on April 6 written in response to Bumba's, Cheeye said, "One of the major signs of dubious contracts, which end up becoming a total haemorrhage of the national financial resources, is the inbuilt element of 'inconclusiveness'. The 50 mega watt Thermal Project is a typical case of a contract, which is inconclusive, and would therefore expose the government to a total financial haemorrhage." On February 9, Cheeye had written a letter warning against the awarding of the contract to Aggreko, which advice Bumba ignored. Cheeye said his investigation had revealed that the contract at $872, 941 per month for three years, would make the government to lose at least $9.3 million at the end of the three years. Quoting Prof Aswath Damodaran, a top corporate finance professor in the US, Cheeye said, "A postulate of sound investing is that an investor does not pay more for an asset than it is worth," he said of the power deal. "What this means is that the government can still pay less for the same investment. For example under the contract which your ministry is keen to sign, the government will lose $9.3 million (the difference with the lowest and equally reliable bidder, and the highest which you have
[Ugnet] A Note to Georgi Ayittey
Georgi Ms.Joe has issued very serious charges against you and your activities. She says you are deeply involved with Mr. James Blanchard 11; a man who has been instrumental in offering unwaivering support to enemies of Africa and Africans and stooges of the United States like Jonas Savimbi of Angola and, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (DRC). Ms. Joe states that Mr.James Blanchard 11 , is or did actually rendering financial support to Your Organization, the Free Africa Foundation . You need to rebuttalMs. Joes allegations ( if that is what it is). Otherwise you and your so called Organization risk being dismissed by many Africans, including Ugandans, as nothing other then an imperialist front whose purpose is to confuse Africans as they struggle against true political and economic emancipation from the grip of imperialist and Neo- colonialist forces. Many Africans and I await your reply toMs. Joes charges or is it Artillary!!! Matek her article follows George Ayittey: Your "roforofo" - mudsliding abilities can be traced to your dysfunctional home,lack of parental guidance and training, and deep seated inferiority complex that no amount of education or de-colonization program can erase. You need psychological counseling. Here is a delusional gambler claiming he is responsible for putting Ghana's President Kuffour in power but fell out because the president is going astray. African peoples, this sameruthless moron with blood moneyreasons that colonialism was responsible for roads and railways, hence beneficial to Africa. Just because alittle luncheon for him with hamburgers and biscuits to peddle his garbage is around the corner, he cannot contain his excitement with the outrageous. The slave, once more, has been invited to interface with his masters, judging from this ruffian's traditional, bad manners. Here is a man , George Ayittey, who was recruited by persons such as James Blanchard 11 to set up a front(they called it FreeFoundation Africa) as a counter voice to African American Civil Rights activists in Africa, especially whenthe Randall Robinsons were fighting against Apartheid. Who is James Blanchard 11 who sat on the pioneering Free Africa Foundation board and gave Ayittey pocket allowance, flying him to educate the world on Africa? The same Mr. Blanchard who was sponsoring Ian Smith of Rhodesia, REMANO and South Africa's resistance to dismantle Apartheid. It was a desperate time until Sentaor Jesse Helms, in his fo reign relations portfolio, sent his staff to help Ian Smith draft resistant positions. Helms called aid to Africa "sinking money in a rat hole." Does it surprise anyone when Ayittey picks up the script to argue that the West did not purposely use aid to assist African dictators, whenevidence points to the contrary? Peoples these are facts. What has color got to do with it? It is the deed. And if not driven by color, that is for Ayittey to decide.It is him who uses blood money to operate Free Africa Foundation; just like the Mobutus, Idi Amins, Abachas, etc, whomhe calls coconut heads. What a hypocrite! As it is getting plainer, Ayittey's sponsored presence in the public was to usher a revisionist history and to shift focus fromatrocities committed bythe West, evenwhen some constituencies in the West have admitted to the theivery and butchery. Any keen observer knows that after the Cold War, there would be geopolitical realignments and soul searching. Ayittey's duty and books are meant to deflect Western follies and paint Africa as the original example of self-destruction. The West and colonialism came to help and did the best but Africa was too hopeless to be saved. That is the platform onwhich Ayittey's African Solutions are based. And thisfool incarnate expected me to write to newspapers supporting his idiocies. That's why he had to postthe Farrakhan articleI wrote. The difference is that other Africans can independently challenge African leadership just as they can call to question Western Shenanigans. But Ayittey is at the mercy of his Western sponsors. He will curse his own mother if she dared question the presence of a colonial mistress in aGhana village. But here is thehuge problem. Ayittey cannot meet his billings. He sold himself as someone capable of penetrating the African society, cause dissensions and diversions. But he has not been successful so far in mainstream press, partly due to African American dismissal of him as anuttyandinebriated opportunist. He wrote books. Ask him how many Civil Rights communities have hosted him?So he tried the Internet with African groups. Thanks toable and astute Africans, he finds himself, once more,marginalized, unable to make a headway. The reality is thatAyittey is so frustrated with his mis-diagnosed predictions that Continental Africans will hailhim as "sage master," and Free Africa Foundation will overshadow respected organizations like TransAfrica. But beside a visionary giant like Randall Robinson, George Ayittey is
Re: [Ugnet] Pizanti Fleeced of at Least US $9Million
What is new under the versionary leadership of Yosweri Kagura Muceben.. let us face it this pepero have eaten things! Bagude kuu Bintu. No wonder they are fighting tooth and nail for Museveni's so called sad term... so that they can even eat more. Meanwhile, the poor mwananchi In uganda is walking with "Kiraka" on the behind...and a laughing shoe.. Matekmusamize [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Cheeye, Bumba Clash Over Thermal Project The Monitor (Kampala) May 2, 2005 By Charles Mwanguhya Mpagi Angelo IzamaKampala The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ms Syda Bumba, and Mr Teddy Ssezi Cheeye are locked in a bitter row over the hiring of Aggreko International Power Projects to develop a 50 megawatts (MW) thermal electricity generating plant in Kampala. Cheeye, the Director for Economic Monitoring at the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), says the $167.8 million (about Shs300 billion) project is inflated by over $9 million (about Shs16 billion). But Bumba dismissed the claims saying they lacked thorough research. Cheeye wrote to President Yoweri Museveni on April 9 saying, "The Ministry of Energy has wrongly preferred to enter into a contract of hiring generators to produce the 50MW power at an astronomical figure of $167 million covering only three years." Aggreko started assembling the thermal generators early April. When complete the project is expected to reduce on day load shedding. The New Vision on April 15 quoted the Managing Director of Uganda Electricity Transmission Company limited (UETCL) Mr Eriasi Kiyemba as saying, the project is "...Government's strategic intervention...to enable small industries and commercial enterprises to operate in the daytime as it will greatly reduce the daytime shortfall of power. Domestic consumers will have fewer days of load shedding." But Cheeye claims his investigations have uncovered corruption in the thermal equipment procurement process. Cheeye first raised the red flag on the contract in February saying the government stands to lose $9.3 million (about 162b) on the Thermal contract with Aggreko because the Ministry of Energy opted to hire the thermal generation equipment instead of outright purchase, which would save the country some money. His letters were copied to President Museveni and the Minister for General Duties Prof Mondo Kagonyera. In a strongly worded letter, Bumba said the Cabinet approved the thermal project. She said Cabinet considered options for hiring generators and direct purchase and the former was chosen because it would save time. Bumba also accused Cheeye of fronting for one of the bidders. She refers to a telephone conversation she had with Cheeye on February 1, four days before the ISO director first wrote to the President about the matter. "By the time you called, the evaluation team had not yet taken the results of the evaluation exercise to the Ministry's contracts committee to make a decision on the bidding process. The tone of your conversation was a clear signal that you were fronting for one of the companies," she wrote on February 11. She did not mention the company Cheeye was reportedly fronting for. Four companies bid for the project; they included Ms Aggreko International Projects Ltd of the United Arab Emirates [the eventual contract winners], Ms Cummins Power Generation Ltd, Uganda, Ms Mantrack Uganda Limited and Ms Jacobsen Electro AS of Norway. Aggreko won the tender in March and started installing the equipment at Lugogo Sub-station in April. "It is advisable that in future you should carry out adequate investigations before disseminating unresearched information taking up serious people's valuable time responding to it," Bumba's February 11 letter read. "It is also advisable that you as a government officer acquaint yourself with the [proper] channels of communication as laid down in the standing orders. I am therefore coping this letter to the Minister for Security who should have been the appropriate party to communicate your concerns to me." Cheeye blames the energy crisis in the country on the Ministry, saying it had a history of bungling projects and contracts. In a subsequent letter on April 6 written in response to Bumba's, Cheeye said, "One of the major signs of dubious contracts, which end up becoming a total haemorrhage of the national financial resources, is the inbuilt element of 'inconclusiveness'. The 50 mega watt Thermal Project is a typical case of a contract, which is inconclusive, and would therefore expose the government to a total financial haemorrhage." On February 9, Cheeye had written a letter warning against the awarding of the contract to Aggreko, which advice Bumba ignored. Cheeye said his investigation had revealed that the contract at $872, 941 per month for three years, would make the government to lose at least $9.3 million at the end of the three years. Quoting Prof Aswath Damodaran, a top corporate finance professor in the US, Cheeye said, "A postulate
[Ugnet] Weekly Observer: NRM feared secret ballot even in 2002
Article Published on: 28th April 2005. FLASHBACK: NRM feared secret ballot even in 2002 Recently, Parliament voted for a motion moved by Minister Nyombi Thembo to do away with secret voting when changing the Constitution. This is the second time the ruling party is battling secret ballot. On May 9, 2002, the opposition moved a motion calling for secret ballot during reconsideration of the Political Parties and Organisations Act.We reproduce the debate in Parliament as recorded in The Hansard. It is Thursday, May 9, 2002. The Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, is in the Chair: AGGREY AWORI: I move that we suspend the rules so that Members can pronounce themselves through secret ballot. ROSEMARY SENINDE: I do not actually agree with Hon. Aworis motion. Mr. Chairman, you will agree with me that we have all along been calling for transparency. (Applause). Nyombi Thembo We have passed the other clauses transparently. So, I would not see the reason why we would like to pass this particular motion (allowing parties to open branches at district) in hiding. I therefore urge my colleagues to reject this motion, if possible, so that we vote transparently. BEN WACHA: For the last two days, we have been engaged in a debate that will shape the future of our politics. It is obvious that this particular clause that we are going to vote on is the gist of this particular bill. It is therefore necessary that when we come to pronounce ourselves on it, we must do it with our consciences free of any fear, but knowing that we shall personally own our decisions. It is important that we recognise that which ever way, this particular clause will have an impact on the future of our country. It is important that each one of us takes personal responsibility for the repercussions of our actions. BERNARD MULENGANI: We have been voting on several occasions through the secret ballot since we came to the 7th Parliament. The Commissioners were elected through the secret ballot, even parliamentarians came through the secret ballot, and particularly I am talking about the august House internal elections. The Members of the East African Community were 3ed through the secret ballot. In my own observation, there is none other than the show of the hands that is very transparent and very open and very free. KAHINDA OTAFIIRE: I think a political system is like faith. When somebody is a Muslim, they wear these religious scarves to identify their faith. Catholic priests wear cassocks and soldiers wear uniforms. A political system is a faith. That you belong to the multi-party system is no crime. It is not in the penal code. That you belong to this other faith is not bad. If we gave political parties a chance to go down to the districts for example, I would not have a problem with that, but you see, at the national level, they act as a block. When they are sent down there, they will go as individuals and they will compete. Their competition is indisciplined. Their indiscipline will tear their national cohesion. That is advantageous to us, but that same indiscipline will cause havoc in our nation.Since this is a creed, since everybody wants to be identified with what they believe - (Laughter) - and believe openly, I urge Members of Parliament to all vote publicly. We should stand to be counted. Let us know where everybody is. What are you hiding? Ona ficha nini? JAMES KAKOOZA: .We have a saying in my culture that once a snake poisons you, when you see a lizard, you also run away. I do not agree with the Hon. Aggrey Awori when he says that we should vote secretly. First, I want to be on record. Some of us want to identify ourselves because we have been called radicals; we have been called everything. I do not see why somebody who supports the radical point of view does not go on record so that they see, as they said in the newspapers, that some of us are radicals and core supporters of the Movement. This shows we have got a constituency binding us to our voters. GEOFFREY EKANYA: I want to tell the members here that our democracy is a growing democracy. After being in power for 16 years, recently Government had to even introduce secret voting for LCI chairmen in the village. I want to make an appeal to members that when voting through secret ballot; it is your freedom that is guaranteed. JENNIFER NAMUYANGU: I know that all of us are here on individual merit, and we are here for the betterment of this country. I believe in transparency and I do not see why a honourable member can fear to vote openly. Voting secretly is not only expensive in terms of time and resources, we also have to start preparing the ballot papers and you can imagine it might take us the whole of today and tomorrow. MICHAEL MABIKKE: I would like to dispel the fears of some Members of Parliament who have contributed before me that actually some members are scared of voting in public. We are not scared of voting in public. The whole point is the fear of undue
[Ugnet] Donors Can't Dictate to Us - Museveni
Donors Can't Dictate to Us - Museveni Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite New Vision (Kampala) May 2, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Fortunate AhimbisibweKampala PRESIDENT Museveni yesterday blasted donors, saying they could not continue to direct how the country should be managed. "The so-called donors cannot continue to show us how we should manage the country," he said. For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here.(Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. In a speech read by Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya at the Labour Day celebrations, Museveni said the donors' continued interference had partially perpetuated terrorism in the north. Museveni said Uganda would cease to need the donors if the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) became able to stop tax leakages and evasions. He said he would oversee URA operations himself, to ensure efficiency. "Recently, I met the management of URA and their thinking is that if we can stop leakages in tax collection, we shall move to 18% of GDP. This would translate to approximately sh270b if the economy continues to grow at five to six percent," he said. He added, "If we achieve a GDP ratio of 24%, we shall not need the practice of dealing with donors, whose meddling is partly responsible for perpetration of terrorism in the north, load-shedding and removal of tax holidays for investors that affected our development tempo." The British government on Friday said it had withheld five million pounds (about sh6.5b) in aid due to Uganda's failure to progress towards establishing a fair basis for multipartyism. The British High Commission said the money was part of 40 million pounds for the financial year 2004/5. Donors contribute 52% of the national budget. Museveni said trade-related facilitation was a better way of working with donors. The Labour Day celebrations were held at Kololo airstrip in Kampala. The theme of the poorly-attended function was "Youth Employment: An engine to National Development." Premier Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, labour minister Bakoku Bakoru, energy minister Syda Bbumba, and state ministers Dr. Alex Kamugisha (health), Henry Obbo (labour), Maria Mutagamba (water), Naiga Ssekabira (disability) and less than 10 MPs attended. About half the chairs in the VIP section were unoccupied and ordinary people were asked to take them. A URA report recently revealed that the total revenue collection in March was sh1.36b against a target of sh1.32b. Relevant Links East Africa Aid and Assistance Legal and Judicial Affairs Europe and Africa Uganda Bakoku said she had presented the national employment policy to Cabinet for consideration. "We shall have a national employment policy by next year. this year our focus is on youth employment," she 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] Armed Raiders From Uganda Injure Herdsman, Steal Cattle
Armed Raiders From Uganda Injure Herdsman, Steal Cattle Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite The East African Standard (Nairobi) May 3, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Osinde ObareNairobi Suspected Karamojong raiders from Uganda struck at several Turkana manyattas, injuring one herdsman and stole cattle. The 100 heavily armed raiders came from Moroto District in Eastern Uganda to attack Lorengippi village in Western Turkana. They shot severally into the manyattas and scared away the villagers before rounding up animals. During the Saturday incident, the herder, Erele Longiroro, was shot and injured on the leg and was admitted to Lodwar District Hospital. Elders from the area were arranging to meet their counterparts from Uganda to discuss how the stolen animals could be recovered and returned to their owners. Local leaders led by former Turkana Central MP, Emmanuel Imana, said 11 people have been killed and 24 others injured during four attacks by the Karamojong raiders. Yesterday, the leaders called on the Government to step beef up security saying that some families had fled their villages fearing more attacks. Relevant Links East Africa Arms and Military Affairs Civil War and Communal Conflict Food, Agriculture and Rural Issues Uganda Kenya The Government, the leaders said, should use diplomacy to pursue the matter and ensure the more than 3,000 head of cattle stolen from the area since the beginning of the year are returned to the owners. Separately, at the West Pokot/Trans Nzoia border, 500 security personnel are still combing Kabolet Forest to recover more animals stolen by suspected Pokot raiders.__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] Donors Can't Dictate to Us - Museveni
Donors Can't Dictate to Us - Museveni Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite New Vision (Kampala) May 2, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Fortunate AhimbisibweKampala PRESIDENT Museveni yesterday blasted donors, saying they could not continue to direct how the country should be managed. "The so-called donors cannot continue to show us how we should manage the country," he said. For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here.(Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. In a speech read by Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya at the Labour Day celebrations, Museveni said the donors' continued interference had partially perpetuated terrorism in the north. Museveni said Uganda would cease to need the donors if the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) became able to stop tax leakages and evasions. He said he would oversee URA operations himself, to ensure efficiency. "Recently, I met the management of URA and their thinking is that if we can stop leakages in tax collection, we shall move to 18% of GDP. This would translate to approximately sh270b if the economy continues to grow at five to six percent," he said. He added, "If we achieve a GDP ratio of 24%, we shall not need the practice of dealing with donors, whose meddling is partly responsible for perpetration of terrorism in the north, load-shedding and removal of tax holidays for investors that affected our development tempo." The British government on Friday said it had withheld five million pounds (about sh6.5b) in aid due to Uganda's failure to progress towards establishing a fair basis for multipartyism. The British High Commission said the money was part of 40 million pounds for the financial year 2004/5. Donors contribute 52% of the national budget. Museveni said trade-related facilitation was a better way of working with donors. The Labour Day celebrations were held at Kololo airstrip in Kampala. The theme of the poorly-attended function was "Youth Employment: An engine to National Development." Premier Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, labour minister Bakoku Bakoru, energy minister Syda Bbumba, and state ministers Dr. Alex Kamugisha (health), Henry Obbo (labour), Maria Mutagamba (water), Naiga Ssekabira (disability) and less than 10 MPs attended. About half the chairs in the VIP section were unoccupied and ordinary people were asked to take them. A URA report recently revealed that the total revenue collection in March was sh1.36b against a target of sh1.32b. Relevant Links East Africa Aid and Assistance Legal and Judicial Affairs Europe and Africa Uganda Bakoku said she had presented the national employment policy to Cabinet for consideration. "We shall have a national employment policy by next year. this year our focus is on youth employment," she said. Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] New Vision: 800,000 Ugandans have HIV
800,000 Ugandans have HIV By J. MaserukaOVER 800,000 adults in Uganda are infected with HIV, which is about 7% of all adults, according to a ministry of Health survey on HIV/AIDS.There has been an overall declining trend of HIV infection from 18% in 1992 to the current figure of 7%, according to preliminary findings from the 2004-2005 Uganda HIV/AIDS Sero-Behavioural Survey.Releasing the results yesterday at the ministrys headquarters at Wandegeya, health minister Jim Muhwezi said Kampala had the highest HIV infection rate of 9.2%, followed by north-central and central regions at 9%.Prof. Francis Omaswa (right), the director general of health services, said HIV prevalence was higher in towns than villages because town social life was more tempting and that many couples had fled rural areas due to wars in the last decade.WHO representative Dr. Walker Oladapo said interlocked poverty in towns was more difficult to deal with than in rural areas due to mo re temptations in towns.West Nile has the lowest HIV infection rate at 2.5%. It comprises of Adjumani, Arua, Moyo, Nebbi and Yumbe districts.The northeastern region, which comprises Kaberamaido, Katakwi, Kotido, Kumi, Moroto, Nakapiripirit and Soroti districts, has the second-lowest infection rate at 4.3%.Infection levels were highest among the 30 to 40 age bracket and lowest between 15 to 19 years.However the prevalence steadily rises and peaks at 12% for women aged 30 to 34 while the HIV infection among men peaks at 35 to 39. Men have a higher prevalence than women at the age of 50 to 59 years. Published on: Tuesday, 3rd May, 2005__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] Torture in Museveni's Uganda HRW Press Release
UGANDA The use of torture as a tool of interrogation has featured prominently in escalating human rights violations by Ugandan security and military forces since 2001. Official and ad hoc military, security and intelligence agencies of the Ugandan government have illegally detained and tortured suspects, seeking to force confessions of links to past political opponents or current rebel groups. Relevant Links East Africa North Africa West Africa Uganda Morocco Nigeria Egypt Human Rights Forms of torture in use in Uganda include kandoya (tying the victim's hands and feet behind his or her body) and suspending detainees tied in this manner from the ceiling; "Liverpool" water torture (forcing the victim to lie face up, mouth open, under a flowing water spigot); severe and repeated beatings with metal or wooden poles, cables, hammers and sticks with nails protruding; pistol-whipping; electrocution; male and female genital and body mutilation; death threats (through showing fresh graves, corpses and snakes); strangulation; isolation; and verbal abuse and humiliation. Some of these practices have resulted in the death of detainees in custody. An informal survey at Kigo Prison near Kampala, where "political" detainees are held, indicated in June 2003 that 90 percent of detainees/prisoners had been tortured during their prior detention by state military and security agencies. The proceeding document features Africa-related excerpts from a Human Rights Watch press release. Torture Worldwide Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite Human Rights Watch (Washington, DC) PRESS RELEASEApril 27, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 As indicated by the summaries below, drawn from Human Rights Watch research in 2004 and 2005, many countries continue to brutalize detainees or suspects. Some governments justify such abuses as inevitable in the global war on terrorism. Others use the excuse of more local enemies. But in any context, such abuses have terrible long-term consequences, destroy the lives of detainees, dehumanize interrogators, and are absolutely prohibited by universally agreed-upon standards. EGYPT Authorities in Egypt use torture on a wide scale. Suspected Islamist militants have borne the brunt of these practices, but the impunity enjoyed by the State Security Investigations (SSI) arm of the Ministry of Interior has helped to foster a culture of brutality in ordinary police work as well. The government-appointed National Council for Human Rights, in its first annual report, published belatedly in April 2005, acknowledged that torture is part of "normal investigative practice" in Egypt. The defeat of the Islamist insurgency by the end of the 1990s has in no way mitigated the problem. Egyptian human rights organizations reported twenty cases of deaths in custody as a result of torture in 2003 and 2004. Of the 292 known torture cases over the past decade, the single greatest number occurred in SSI offices. In February 2005 Human Rights Watch published the results of its investigation into the government's response to the October 2004 bomb attacks against the Taba Hilton hotel and other tourist sites (URL Taba report), which included credible evidence that the SSI routinely used torture in interrogating thousands of persons taken into custody, most of whom continue to remain in detention without charge. Despite Egypt's terrible record of torture and ill-treatment, governments in the region and in the West, including the United States, have "rendered" wanted suspects to Cairo and into the hands of the SSI, in clear violation of the principle of non-refoulement. One of these persons was Mamdouh Habib, an Australian citizen of Egyptian origin captured in Pakistan in October 2001 and transferred by the United States to Egyptian custody for six months and then to Guantanamo Bay. He was released from there without charge in January 2005. While he was in Egypt, according to a court affidavit filed by his U.S. lawyer, "he was subjected to unspeakable brutality," including severe beatings for hours at a time and electric shock treatment of "ingenious cruelty." Another such case was the December 2001 transfers of Ahmad Agiza and Muhammad al-Zari from Sweden to Egypt. There is considerable evidence that Egyptian security agents tortured the men during detention. Agiza reported that he was subject to repeated beatings and electric shocks, after which a cream was applied to minimize evidence of burn, and that he was at one point left chained and blindfolded for 10 days, during which he urinated and defecated on himself. He also alleged that he was made to lick food off the prison floor. The rendition of persons to countries that practice torture has been especially problematic among the member states of the Arab League. Of the fifty-six persons known to have been rendered to Egypt over the past decade, thirty-two have been sent there by neighboring Arab
[Ugnet] Nkangi's is but a sold out soul to Movementism!!!
Twaleri!!! The Nkangis are Sold souls; to movementism that is now that they see things are are not going well in the NRM camp, they too want to coil back to CP! Nkangi you were there serving Museveni... stop decieving us... with I hear CP delegates Confeference...you man you must think Uganda are a bunch of fools! MK I'm Still CP Chief - Nkangi Email This Page Print This Page VisitThePublisher'sSite New Vision (Kampala) May 2, 2005 Posted to the web May 2, 2005 Fortunate AhimbisibweKampala JOASH Mayanja Nkangi has said he is still the leader of the Conservative Party (CP) until a Delegates Conference is held to elect new leadership. Nkangi, who is the chairman of the Uganda Land Commission, said the party had never held a delegates meeting to change its leadership since April 1980. "I must categorically state that only a Delegates Conference of the party can appoint me to any post in the leadership of the party and no other person or body of persons can. As it is, no such conference has ever so pronounced itself," he said. Nkangi said in a statement on Thursday that his reaction had been sparked off by queries from party members asking whether he was still the party leader or an adviser. CP was inaugurated in 1980 and held its first delegates meeting when Nkangi was elected party president. Relevant Links East Africa Legal and Judicial Affairs Uganda "Because of the political and legal impediments, which besieged the country from 1981 to 2002, the party, like other political parties which were in existence in 1995, has never been able to convene another delegates conference to enable its membership elect a new leadership. Consequently, I am still carrying the can as the leader of the party until another delegates conference is held," he said. Nkangi said he would convene a delegates' meeting in the near future so that new leaders could be elected. Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! ___ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
[Ugnet] Letter in Weekly Obsverver April 28, 2005: Thieves in Uganda Post Office, etc
Thieves in Post Office Rampant theft apparently continues unabated at the Main Post Office in Kampala. Over the past 19 years, many of my letters, magazines and large parcels have routinely disappeared with promises of an investigation. For the past five years I have been caring for and educating 110 small street kids in four homes in Mulawa Kira, near Namugongo. This is a very expensive undertaking and I have had to rely on countless loyal expatriate friends and benefactors to make it a reality. Over the past five years they have sent me huge parcels of clothing, soccer uniforms, school supplies, sports equipment and indoor games for the children. Several weeks ago, I learned to my horror and shame that seven huge boxes of these things, some sent over one year ago, have never arrived. How could so many large boxes (postage $270) simply get lost? Also missing was a huge box of fruit and vegetable seeds for the kids to grow some of their own food and learn how to become self-reliant. Add to that a large box of videocassettes for the kids. I am a cancer patient and had ordered a large supply of cancer provisions (unavailable in Uganda). These too have mysteriously disappeared. Doesnt this rampant theft cause donors to believe that Uganda is, indeed, one of most corrupt countries on the face of the earth? For, Ugandans are almost literally stealing food from the mouths of their own starving children! This is shameful and inexcusable. The thieves know quite well that these gifts are meant for my poor street kids, mostly AIDS orphans, for the boxes are clearly marked. I would strongly advise such corrupt and heartless people to prepare a fitting excuse for the Lord on Judgment Day. As I have done on many occasions before, I explained all this to the head postmaster who promised to make a thorough investigation. Many days have now passed and I still have not received a single word from him. Name withheld on request. Article Published on: 28th April 2005. OPINION Anne Mugisha Why we left Museveni I am often asked: How is FDC different from the Movement? I often answer that NRM-O is a personality cult but FDC is about institution building. I have started breaking down the answer to give it more meaning and hopefully get more understanding for the reasons why followers left the flock to become opponents. Some time after taking power in 1986, President Museveni diverted from the original Movement goal of building a democratic nation and embarked on a journey to entrench himself in power by manipulating legitimate authority and the abundant hope that the population had in him. Like the CEO who increases his own interest at the expense of stockholders, Musevenis government became an affair of loyalists and their interests transcended those of serving the nation. From there on, it was a matter of personal conviction and timing for ethical leaders to quit NRM upon realising that there was no room for undoing the damage from within the organisation. To this day, other leaders such as Bidandi Ssali still cling to the hope that they can wrestle Goliath from within rather than step back to use Davids sling from the other side of the political divide. The turning point may have been different but the reasons given for leaving revolve around the same themes. A common theme is that Museveni undermines legitimate authority in favour of parallel structures of loyalists. The usurpers who usually had no prior standing in law become so powerful that they render legitimate structures obsolete and non-consequential. SRPS (special revenue protection services) was closely aligned with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA); run by the military and no one knew exactly how SRPS recruited or to whom it was accountable. AGOA and the Uganda AIDS Commission are not associated with line ministries; instead they found their way to the Presidents Office. Foreign policy is not evolved in Foreign Affairs; instead it is State House which influences positions on international trade, war in Iraq, and aligning all policies with U.S. interests. Regional policy was implemented by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), External Se curity Organisation (ESO), and Ministry of Defence; after all, we were negotiating our way out of conflict rather than negotiating trade agreements. And military men Col. Noble Mayombo, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, and Amama Mbabazi (Defence minister) became the negotiators. Legitimate authority was deliberately undermined and power centres devolved from professionals to loyalists. Then the coercive machinery of government came to the fore; CMI was big, the Presidential Protection Unit was replaced by the Presidential Guard Brigade, Kakooza Mutale became a household name associated with election violence. All pretences at a democratic evolution were thrown out of the window. While Musevenis first decade was inclusive, broad-based, with a shared vision, now the
[Ugnet] Why we left Museveni
OPINION Anne Mugisha Fellow Citizen: The fact that the Anne Mugisha and other in the so called FDC could follow Museveni and Museveni's politics of the Bush, calls into question the judgement and leadership capability of those so called leaders in the FDC. Museveni showed his true colour right from the beginning.. the man never believed in democratic values or ideals if you want. For Yoweri Museveni power comes from the Gun nothing else. And if Museveni must cause unpreccident destruction of our people and property, to obtain power, so be it. Indeed for now 20 years Museveni is continuing with his believes /policies of fighting wars. The whole nothern and Eastern Uganda has been totally destroy thanx to Museven and the misjudgement of the Ann Mugisha. Indeed the Ann Mugisha have yet to learn from Yoweri Museveni's politics of death, Intimmidation and violence.. Our Friend Mwesigye is now holed up in South Africa..a wanted ; man in Uganda. Matek Why we left Museveni I am often asked: How is FDC different from the Movement? I often answer that NRM-O is a personality cult but FDC is about institution building. I have started breaking down the answer to give it more meaning and hopefully get more understanding for the reasons why followers left the flock to become opponents. Some time after taking power in 1986, President Museveni diverted from the original Movement goal of building a democratic nation and embarked on a journey to entrench himself in power by manipulating legitimate authority and the abundant hope that the population had in him. Like the CEO who increases his own interest at the expense of stockholders, Musevenis government became an affair of loyalists and their interests transcended those of serving the nation. From there on, it was a matter of personal conviction and timing for ethical leaders to quit NRM upon realising that there was no room for undoing the damage from within the organisation. To this day, other leaders such as Bidandi Ssali still cling to the hope that they can wrestle Goliath from within rather than step back to use Davids sling from the other side of the political divide. The turning point may have been different but the reasons given for leaving revolve around the same themes. A common theme is that Museveni undermines legitimate authority in favour of parallel structures of loyalists. The usurpers who usually had no prior standing in law become so powerful that they render legitimate structures obsolete and non-consequential. SRPS (special revenue protection services) was closely aligned with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA); run by the military and no one knew exactly how SRPS recruited or to whom it was accountable. AGOA and the Uganda AIDS Commission are not associated with line ministries; instead they found their way to the Presidents Office. Foreign policy is not evolved in Foreign Affairs; instead it is State House which influences positions on international trade, war in Iraq, and aligning all policies with U.S. interests. Regional policy was implemented by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), External Se curity Organisation (ESO), and Ministry of Defence; after all, we were negotiating our way out of conflict rather than negotiating trade agreements. And military men Col. Noble Mayombo, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, and Amama Mbabazi (Defence minister) became the negotiators. Legitimate authority was deliberately undermined and power centres devolved from professionals to loyalists. Then the coercive machinery of government came to the fore; CMI was big, the Presidential Protection Unit was replaced by the Presidential Guard Brigade, Kakooza Mutale became a household name associated with election violence. All pretences at a democratic evolution were thrown out of the window. While Musevenis first decade was inclusive, broad-based, with a shared vision, now the country implements Musevenis personal vision and he has remarked memorably that he is the only one with a vision to lead Uganda. The rhetoric is still visionary and alludes to grand ideals of transforming society but the means of achieving the ideals have become Machiavellian; principle has been thrown out of the window and in its place we see political expediency. The epitome of all this manipulation and intrigue is embodied in the devious manner in which the executive is proceeding to amend Article 105(2) of the Constitution to remove presidential term limits. So, the over-simplified view that the quarrel between FDC and NRM-O is over Musevenis desire for a 5th term is wrong. The amendment is simply the most defining of a malady that afflicts the NRM-O: A cultish style of leadership. When he was a transformational leader, young university graduates followed Museveni into the bush to struggle against dictatorship. They were attracted by his visionary leadership and pushed by a brutal dictatorship. He inspired them, appealed to their values,
[Ugnet] The Case of Hasan Akbar: What We Don't and Do Know (from www.counterpunch.org)
/What We Don't and Do Know/ The Case of Hasan Akbar By STAN GOFF The determinations of a court martial, in much the same way as a civilian trial, conform to reality selectively where these determinations match the facts at all. That is certainly the case for Hasan Akbar, who was sentenced to death last week for fragging his fellow soldiers in Kuwait. The only person who knows what happened on March 22, two and a half days after the ground offensive to invade and militarily occupy sovereign Iraq, may be Hasan Akbar himself, and even that may be a risky assumption. All trials are inherently and deeply political events. That is why this trial cannot be ignored. A trial is a state ritual, bedecked in the allegorical appurtenances of robes, gavels, uniforms, and the elevated bench of the high priest. It is a carefully scripted public spectacle, even when it is not 'open to the general public,' using the mystical mumbo-jumbo of 'objectivity' as it's point of ultimate reference. Trials are codified rituals, no less primitive and dogmatic than pretending we are drinking blood and eating flesh during communion, than the boiled egg at a Pesach seder, or the daylight fast during Ramadan. A trial is the religious ritual of state power, and the purpose of a trial as a ritual of state power is to render invisible all those relations the state exists to protect. Trials are run almost exclusively by an order of modern shamans called attorneys, people who have been schooled not at determining the whole truth of anything, but instead to apply the various sub-rituals of the law on behalf of one or more of the trial participants. Please don't assume that I dislike religion or lawyers. Some of my best friends, as they say, are religious people and lawyers. The religion I want to deconstruct here is Objectivity. And I want to talk not about lawyers, but about law. A military trial, a court martial, is a ritual contrived to conceal not just the relations of power that exist prior to liberal law -- as civil trials do -- but to camouflage the realities that exist prior to the formal codes of military behavior. A trial is the exercise of the law. The so-called objectivity of the law, which pretends it has no point of view, renders the law a mirror of the status-quo. Every assumption that holds sway, with or without the formal recognition of the law, enters the courtroom, then, as a fact of nature -- a universality, something above and immune from the actual living bodies and all their turbulent histories in the courtroom. This is why every trial that purports to be objective is a lie. The separation of the human subject from all we would call objects -- be that a rain forest, a woman, or a slave -- is a lie. This reflection of the status quo that calls itself objectivity, and pretends it has no point of view, reflects power and surrounds that power in a force field of invisibility. In the trial of a woman for rape, for example, in the determination of something called 'consent,' no attorney is allowed to raise the issue of generally unequal power between men and women in society, even if plain sense tells us that social power conditions the question of consent. This is 'inadmissible.' This unequal power relation that existed prior to the law is not merely ignored by the court, it is actively excluded from any deliberation. Systems of social power, like patriarchy, like capital, like imperialism, are not discounted as irrelevant. This would leave them open to question, vulnerable to the 'objective' evidence of relevance. No, these systems that exist prior to law are not discounted; they are counted. They are counted as natural, as the very immutable laws of nature, impenetrable to mere juridical intervention. That's the first thing. It is only a matter of time after I write this, that someone will say I am defending the actions of Hasan Akbar. Those who defend and apologize for the status quo have demonstrated again and again that they are utterly unscrupulous. There are things I am writing here that will be taken out of context, and that can be combined with the existing assumptions with which we have all been indoctrinated, which will easily lend support to the impression that I am 'defending' Hasan Akbar. So be it. What is likely to be left out is what I will say right now, and what I said earlier... I do not know what happened with Hasan Akbar on May 22, 2003, so it is illogical to assume I am defending his actions. I cannot defend what I do not know. I have neither the capacity nor the inclination. What I want to do is denaturalize; I want to point out some of the terrible lies behind all the assumptions that shroud the story of Hasan Akbar, assumptions that have the impermeability of a law of nature, or an article of religious faith. What they say, 'they' being the story-product of the average socially necessary labor time expended by so-called
