Letter from Toronto By Opiyo Oloya --The writer is concerned about the problem of northern Uganda
Dear Mr President, congratulations for successfully hosting US President George Bushs four-hour stopover in Uganda last Friday aimed at highlighting Ugandas brilliant success in fighting HIV/AIDS. You have indeed earned the distinction for being one of the very few African leaders to help slow down the spread of the hideous illness. It was also a chance to make history by being the first African leader to host two sitting US presidents (Mr Obasanjo would play runner-up a few hours later). Moreover, it was exactly a month to the day, on June 10, when President Bush welcomed you in the Oval Office in the White House. On that occasion, Mr Bush paid you glowing tribute, saying, Mr President, you have shown extraordinary leadership on a lot of issues, but the one issue thats really captured the imagination and the hearts of the American people is your extraordinary leadership on HIV/AIDS in your country. Youve shown the world what is possible, and I want to congratulate you for that leadership.
To put this in historical context, American presidents have rarely found time for Africa, let alone African leaders. In 1909, a year after leaving office, former US president Teddy Roosevelt took a year-long hunting safari through what was then British East Africa and the Belgian Congo before ending in Sudan. It took another 70 years before Jimmy Carter ventured into Africa, specifically Nigeria and Liberia. In 1993, George W. Bush Sr paid a brief visit to US troops in Baidoa, Somalia. In 1998, Bill Clinton spent six days in Africa, including an overnight stay in Uganda. And now, barely five years later, George W. Bush Jr comes calling at your door. Now, whatever the critics say, thats a real honour. Yet, Mr President, even as you continue to fight HIV/AIDS and to highlight the need for free trade between Africa and developed countries, you should know that Ugandas image is crumbling abroad. Increasingly, references to Uganda in the North American and European media seem to focus mostly on the 17-year war in the north and the impact it has had on young children. Yes, there is always mention of Ugandas crippling corruption as well as what is euphemistically referred to as the growing pains of democracy. But, whatever the context, the unmistakable writing on the wall is: the war in the north is out of control .
For example, last Friday, the very day you were welcoming President Bush at Entebbe, a long article titled Dont turn a blind eye appeared in the Globe and Mail, Canadas national newspaper. In it, respected journalist Madelaine Drohan writes: ...Mr Musevenis army has been grossly ineffectual in putting a stop to raids by the cult-like Lords Resistance Army against local civilians to capture and enslave children for its ranks. Ms Drohan concludes, Mr Museveni is a good leader threatening to go bad... Also last week, correspondent Emily Wax writing from Kampala for the Washington Post wrote: Uganda, a nation of 25 million people, has been touted as an African economic and social success story. But with a violent insurgency in the north, allegations of plundering and backing rebels in Congo and jitters over a president whose government does not tolerate political dissent, the country is seen as being at a critical point in its struggle toward democracy.
Two weeks ago, on July 3, Lloyd Axworthy, Canadas former foreign affairs minister, now director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues, wrote a very moving piece in the Globe and Mail, titled Cries from the heart , in which he specifically addressed the emerging human catastrophe in northern Uganda in the wake of Operation Iron Fist. The displaced personscamps swelled to over 800,000 people, he wrote, representing two-thirds of the regions population. The camps lack security, face shortages of food and medicines and have become the target of incessant raids. The situation is one of deepening starvation and exploitation by both sides in the war. Efforts to find a negotiated settlement have fallen through, leaving people in the area with little hope for an end to the madness.
Mr President, it does not help your image or that of Uganda when reports appear in the international media that Maj Kakooza Mutale is taking advantage of the suffering in northern Uganda by luring young children with the promise of scholarships when in fact they are being slated for military training. Somehow, it adds to the perception that in Uganda, there are those who are above the law and no matter what they do, it is tolerated, even encouraged by the Government.
The war in the north is likely to cast a long shadow on your other achievements. The time has come for you to call in a neutral third party to help bring about a negotiated settlement. Ends
Published on: Wednesday, 16th July, 2003
