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By Felix Osike and Henry Mukasa
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said colonial distortions stagnated development of African countries.
He, however, said it was not right to solely blame colonialists for the �shameful phenomenon,� saying Africans were too weak to defend themselves.
He said the colonialists left behind armies of illiterates, gave Africans little education and made the countries dependent on export of raw materials.
Opening a six-day Commonwealth Parliamentary Association mid-year executive meeting at Speke Resort Munyonyo yesterday, Museveni (left) said Africans must demand for trade access with developed nations, most of them former colonial masters, to overcome the distortions.
The Commonwealth has membership of former British colonies.
�Some of you must be wondering what is the problem with Africa. There must be a devil! There�s no devil. It�s colonial distortion that we are grappling with,� he said.
Museveni said the
commonwealth would lose meaning if member countries remained divided in the categories of developed, developing and least developed states.
He said colonialism left former colonies with the English language which must be used as �a captured weapon for doing serious mutual beneficial business with one another.�
He categorised UK, Canada, Australia and Newzeland as the developed, India, South Africa and Pakistan as developing and most African, Caribbean and Pacific nations as under developed.
�Now where is the common wealth? Where is the commonness? Where is the universality? We cannot continue to have first and second world in the commonwealth,� he said.
He said while African colonies fought alongside the British in their expeditions, like in Burma, the best the colonial master did was to leave the colonies� armies under the command of illiterate officers, completely alienated from the people.
�Inspite of working with the British for more than
70
years, the best they did to develop the army was to commission two officers in 1958 and one of the two was (former Ugandan dictator) Idi Amin. Amin was Her Majesty�s soldier recruited by the British. This wasn�t a problem but he was illiterate. This led to the dark ages and Idi Amin was the author,� he said.
Museveni said the export of raw materials was another distortion that began with colonialism. He said without value addition, Africa reaped very little from exports.
�The export of raw materials has been a curse on black Africa,� Museveni added.
He said the situation was exacerbated by colonial boundaries which excessively balkanised the continent and denied Africans a would-be large single market for trade.
He said for many countries the coast was detached from the hinterland.
The Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, who chairs CPA-Uganda Chapter, said the meeting would discuss Uganda�s transition, implication of WTO, anti-terrorism strategies, the role
of
women in decision making and effects of HIV/AIDS.
Ssekandi hailed the US for opening up her market to African countries through AGOA.
�We pray that the developed countries within the community of the commonwealth could do the same instead of putting emphasis and preference on development aid,� Ssekandi said. This earned him applause from president Museveni who said, �market access and not aid will develop Africa.�
Dan Hays, the Speaker of the Senate of Canada, who moved a vote of thanks, said Uganda had become exceptionally successful in the fight against the dreaded HIV/AIDS pandemic.
He invited President Museveni to Canada to attend the 50th CPA annual conference due in August.
Hays also said Commonwealth countries must pursue their pledge of promoting democratic values.
CPA is an association of Commonwealth Parliamentarians who are bound by respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms and pursuit of positive ideals of
parliamentary democracy.
Published on: Tuesday, 20th April, 2004 |
