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The Monitor (Kampala)January 30, 2004
Posted to the web January 30, 2004 Badru D. Mulumba & Mwanguhya C. Mpagi
Kampala
The army has come under fire for labelling some journalists here collaborators of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army."The wild allegations against some of the most prominent journalists in the country are outrageous, especially because the Anti-Terrorism Act still carries the death penalty for any act of terrorism," the International Federation of Journalists said in a statement posted on its Web site on January 25.
"They are blatant efforts to systematically stifle voices of dissent and undermine journalists' rights to report in Uganda," Mr Aidan White, the general secretary is quoted saying.The anti-terrorism law, passed in 2002, allows long detentions without trial of persons thought to collaborate with 'terrorists' and carries a maximum sentence of death.
The LRA is labelled a terrorist organisation. Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza reportedly told journalists this week that Mr Andrew Mwenda, the station manager of 93.3 Monitor FM, and Mr Wanyama Wangah, the former news editor of The Monitor newspaper, are collaborators after the army found their numbers with dead rebel commanders.
But last evening, Information minister Nsaba Buturo sought to allay fears that the remarks portend a crackdown on independent journalism."We are very careful not to be seen to be harassing those who might be writing stories [that] alarm government," Buturo said.While backing a full investigation, the minister, however, said: "For rebels to have telephone numbers of journalists is okay. The issue of having numbers isn't something that should in itself merit investigation."But yesterday, Bantariza said: "It is not only the numbers; there are more details.
These fellows have also indicated that there are other dealings including [Mwenda and Wanyama] instructing junior rebels on who to deal with and who not to deal with."In 2002, MP Reagan Okumu (Aswa) was amongst politicians accused of being rebel collaborators.
They were never charged. Bantariza said that the journalists would be investigated.He said that the two journalists have been boasting that they have information about the army. Now, he said, the army also has information about them.Said Buturo: "The investigation should not worry the journalists...It is not a witch hunt; and it is not intended to harass journalists who are covering the war."Mwenda said he has spoken to senior rebel commanders including leader Joseph Kony who has called him twice - a fact that he said is known to senior officials including President Museveni."I really have no feeling about the accusation because it is all trash," he said. "My responsibility is not to be a moral counsellor to the rebels." But IFJ regards the act as a threat to press freedom.IFJ also notes the recent shut down of some privately owned media outlets which could not pay for their operating permits, including community radios.Kampala FM, Mama FM, Power FM and Equator FM were some of the stations affected. "More than half of the radios of the country are affected by those stringent and unbalanced measures," White said. "This situation and the direct accusations against journalists represent a real threat against press freedom."Relevant Links
IFJ said that Ugandan authorities should dismiss Bantariza's allegations, revoke the legal threats against the journalists and stop harassing the independent media.The LRA has been waging war in northern Uganda, and recently in eastern, for nearly two decades. Abductions and indiscriminate killing of civilians mark its tactics.
"The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth becomes the greatest enemy of the state."
- Dr. Joseph M. Goebbels - Hitler's propaganda minister
