Let's Own Up; the North is in a Mess
Email This Page
Print This Page
Visit The Publisher's Site
The Monitor (Kampala)
EDITORIAL
April 12, 2004
Posted to the web April 12, 2004
Kampala
There are many things that are stupefying in Uganda's political world today. But the
fact that some of our government ministers are still brazenly defying natural justice,
by insisting that northern Uganda is not a disaster area, beats them all.
The ping-pong between MPs and the executive on this question is greatly embarrassing
to say the least. This ought not to have been a contested affair by government in the
first place.
Many people and civic organisations helping out in the north have time and again
questioned the will of government to address the human suffering up there. In their
opinion, the declaration of the north as a disaster area could have offered government
the best framework to address the northern crisis.
In the absence of any convincing reason, people understood government's adamant
position to be mostly influenced by the fear to lose face in the eyes of the
international community. But who doesn't know that Uganda is dependant on donor money
for literally everything that seems to function in this country?
For example as government engaged in a war of words with donors for the latter's
support for the disaster motion, the European Union committed billions of shillings to
help alleviate the northern humanitarian crisis. We are yet to hear government back up
its position with any humanitarian aid.
Now that parliament has rejected the cabinet's alternative version to the disaster
motion, it is time for the executive to cease this useless battle and go with the rest
of the world on this matter.
Relevant Links
East Africa
Uganda
Civil War and Communal Conflict
The north, which is sandwiched in the bloody war, stands to lose as this embarrassing
stand off rages on. Any minute lost costs lives.
This is the time for the government to show the world that it is sensitive to the
lives of the people in north trapped in one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Especially after failing to give them security in the 17 years.
--------------------------------------------
This service is hosted on the Infocom network
http://www.infocom.co.ug
