EU defends envoyâs statement on North
By Sheila C. Kulubya & Mwanguhya C. Mpagi
March 7, 2004
KAMPALA â The European Union has defended Mr Sigurd Illing, the head of its delegation in Uganda.Illing has been under fire from various government officials since he backed a parliamentary resolution to declare northern Uganda a disaster area, despite cabinetâs rejection of the motion.
Irish ambassador, Martin OâFainin told Sunday Monitor on Friday that Illingâs statement on the war was not just his own position âI would like to point out that the statement made at parliament was on behalf of a large group of diplomatic missions,â said Mr OâFainin, who currently holds the presidency of the European Missions in Uganda.The donor group includes the US, UK and all the European Union countries.
Minister for security, Ms Betty Akech on Thursday told journalists that she had âcomplained at the highest level,â about the diplomat.
Ms Akech said that Illingâs statements breached the diplomatic code of conduct and hinted that the EU diplomat might be deported if he continues to overstep his diplomatic status.Speaking to Sunday Monitor on phone from Norway on Friday, Illing said he was being unfairly attacked. âSomebody had to read out the statement and as the head of the EU delegation, it was my responsibility to do so,â said the diplomat.
He said he was âvery upset that he had been singled out of the whole group of donorsâ.Said Illing: âI hope everybody will understand that itâs very unfair to accuse one person out of a group of more than fifteen peopleâ.He said that he would not seek redress over the attacks, but would leave it to some âcool headed people in government to cool things downâ.
At the Parliamentary hearing, the EU diplomat told MPs that government should stop blaming the war in the north on donors - for not allowing an increase in the defence expenditure.In reaction, Army spokesman Shaban Bantariza dangled a letter, which he claimed IIing had secretly written to Lords Resistance Army rebel leader Joseph Kony without governmentâs consent. Illing however said he had written the letter at the request of Lt Gen. Salim Saleh, commander of the reserve forces.
The EU diplomat said he gave the letter to Gulu Municipality MP Norbert Mao, then a member of the Presidential Peace Team to deliver it to the rebels. A copy of the letter was also given to Gen. Saleh, he said.IIIing said the EU, including all other donors would continue to support all efforts aimed at resolving the war in the north.
 2004 The Monitor Publications
"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
