THE MONITOR, 3RD DECEMBER 2002
Govt can avoid wars - Besigye
By Alex B. Atuhaire
Exiled former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye has said government has failed to prevent armed rebellion from being used as a form of struggle.In a paper titled �The State of Armed Conflict (Struggle) and the Prospect for Peace in Uganda,� issued Nov. 25, Besigye said government�s response to conditions in Uganda today is attracting a very threatening situation. He cited militarism, economic pressure and lack of justice, among others.
Besigye said in the 10-page paper that while the oppressed have appealed to the government, which is �controlled by sections of the military together with sections of the civilian elite�, to rethink its position and take steps to avoid violent conflict, its response has been very disappointing.
He said that appeals have also been made to governments in the region, regional bodies and the international community to "persuade" the Ugandan authorities to take the necessary steps to avoid violent conflict.
�The Government has responded by preparing for war: expand the size of the military, buy more weaponry, enact laws to provide for further repression, and intensify acts of repression,� he said.
�It is understood that some of the regional centres made some contacts with the Ugandan authorities in response to our appeals, and that these were curtly brushed aside as being a response to the whining of a few disgruntled people. Some in the International Community have even been reported to have made public statements in support of the military build up by government; justifying it as a show [of] commitment to deal with terrorism," he said.
�So the stage seems to be gradually getting set for violent confrontation,� Besigye added.
Government officials have accused Besigye, who fled the country in 2001 in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections, of mobilising for war.
But Besigye, who denies the accusation, said in this latest paper that the likelihood of a new armed rebellion in Uganda has been fanned by government's p anicky, clumsy and hasty actions and utterances depicting the existence of a very threatening situation.
�Certainly, I would never initiate or join a war situation unless it cannot be avoided. I can only participate in war which has been imposed on me,� he said.
Besigye said people�s fundamental freedoms and rights, including freedom of association, assembly, movement, expression and the right to life, have been trampled upon by the Museveni regime.
December 03, 2002 01:07:51
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