ugnet_: Fw: Who put Lule in power?

[Lisa Toro]

----- Original Message ----- From: Yoga Adhola To: UPC UPC Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 11:18 PM Subject: Fw: Who put Lule in power?   Mr. Johnnie Muwanga-Zake,   You wrote:   " Why didn't the UPC directly assume power after Amin's government fell? I do not understand why the UPC, controlling the front-line, would for example allow Lule to be proclaimed president (page 11), unless of course Lule was deliberately used to lure the support of the Baganda during the overthrow of Amin." I have to begin by complimenting you for taking time to read Dr Obote's account of what happened. Not many people from Buganda do that. They simply dismiss Obote and never get his side of the story. This is done despite what Kabaka Mutesa said about Obote's abilities:   "...Up to this point his career had not been a conspicuous one. Elected to the Legico, he became head of a powerful political party, and even then his undoubted ability was little recognised." The Desecration of my Kingdom page 159.    I believe it is important to get both sides of the story, however, objectionable one side is before taking a position. I would further also observe it is good you have put out the issues you wish explored further in form of questions. I will attempt to answer some of them.   The issue of Yusuf Lule. Lule was not put in that position by the Tanzanians. Lule was placed there by the British. None other than the Dr David Owen, British Foreign Secretary at the time has written in his memoirs, "Time to Declare:"   " But the Amin issue did not go away. Later he was ousted by Tanzanian armed intervention, and we aided Julius Nyerere in the attempt. I will never be sure whether it was wise to do so. The price we extracted from Nyerere four our material support was the promise that a mild, decent former children's doctor should be President rather than Milton Obote. Unfortunately the doctor did not have the necessary authority. The end result was that Obote returned to the Presidency, Uganda was riven again and human rights were trampled. Although not quite as bad as Amin's, Obote's rule was still a disaster." (Owen, D 1991)   There might be some confusion over the description of Lule. Owen describes him as an eye doctor. This point is cleared by Ingham in his book on Obote. I would have quoted it but I don't have a copy with me. Ingham says Owen's memory let him down; the person he was talking was really Lule.   I hope this clears up things  for you.   Yoga Adhola.  _______________________________________________     ----- Original Message ----- From: Johnnie Muwanga-Zake To: federo Cc: Abaana e South ; Buganda Discussion Group Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 3:26 AM Subject: [FedsNet] The UPC role in the removal of Amin paper by Dr Obote Netters, I have read Dr Obote's paper 'The UPC Role in the Removal of Amin Paper' posted on Fednets some time ago. Thanks to Dr Obote for throwing more light on what transpired since Amin overthrew his government. More questions arise when one reads this paper. For example, mention is made of  a DP leader who accepted to be a Chief Justice (page 1) without mentioning the name (probably the late Ben Kiwanuka); apparently Dr Obote gives this as one reason why as a contributing factor to Amin's dictatorship. While Dr Obote elaborates on how much his family suffered under Amin (page 4, although none of his family members appears to have been murdered by Amin), the murder of Ben Kiwanuka is not mentioned. Roumors (mainly from Amin's quarters)  had it that UPC played a hand in the murder of Ben Kiwanuka. Museveni is mentioned in the paper as a liar (he had not recruited any fighters) (page 5), and apparently UPC's Kikosi Maalum with the help of TPDF overthrew Amin. In a nutshell UPC is the only Ugandan organisation that overthrew Amin.   Among the interesting questions to ask Dr Obote: 1. Why didn't the UPC directly assume power after Amin's government fell? I do not understand why the UPC, controlling the front-line, would for example allow Lule to be proclaimed president (page 11), unless of course Lule was deliberately used to lure the support of the Baganda during the overthrow of Amin.   For those of us commoners in Uganda then, there was no mention of the UPC or Kikosi Maalum. I tend to believe that Kikosi Maalum and TPDF would have had a tough time had people learned that UPC was lingering behind the scene. The role of the use of Lule has to be acknowledged prominently.   2. Would Kikosi Maalum have managed that war without the help of the local people of Mbarara and Masaka (including non UPC members) whose sacrifices seem not to be acknowledged?   3. Isn't it possible that the fall of Dr Obote's second government was due to the failure of acknowledging and nurturing the role of the Ugandan population in the south, which had helped in the fall of Amin, and Obote's over-reliance on Nyerere? For it appears from the paper that, while Nyerere helped in the fall of Amin, his interest was to return Obote into power (note for example, the Nyerere's interference in the appointments [page 12] and arguments against Lule and the subsequent fall of Lule's government). Why would, for example, the names of cabinet ministers be broadcast on Radio Tanzania other than for Nyerere to plan a path for Obote's return to the presidency?   4. Finally, what has Dr Obote and the UPC learned from the three overthrows? (One by Amin, another by the 'gang of four [page 11], and finally by Okello). A substantial number of people jubilated throughout Uganda when Dr Obote was overthrown by Amin - I am not so sure about subsequent ones because I was not there.   Although the paper mainly boasts of Dr Obote's role, thanks to the UPC's role in overthrowing Amin's government. However, Dr Obote and UPC should also  accept the responsibility of the turmoil (pages 12-14), and deaths (dead bodies were frequent throughout Kampala during Lule's, Binaisa's, and Muwanga's rule - by the way all of them Baganda!), and apologise for these. Apparent peace returned to Kampala the day Binaisa was removed, this demonstrating that Kikosi Maalum was making Uganda deliberately ungovernable under Binaisa. It would be helpful to get the versions of the rest of the forces that claim to have played roles.