Sunday Monitor 15th July 2007 (unedited version)
(A letter from London)
The Queen should apologise to Ugandans
I read with interest the Commonwealth Secretary General Mr. Don "McKinnon's
thoughts on African Union and the Commonwealth", (Sunday Monitor 1st July
2007). I was suitably pleased that Africa is now, of significance enough for
him to reflect in pen and paper for a Ugandan newspaper.
I agree with his reference to Kwame Nkrumah's view that "nations' challenges
are best met in unity." At that time, Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Milton Obote
and Kenneth Kaunda were among only a handful of insightful African leaders
advocating for unity, against opposition within and without, especially from
colonial Britain.
Mr. Mckinnon rightly suggests the reasonable contribution his organisation made
especially, in negotiations for ending the Zimbabwean war of liberation, its
independence and democracy in 1980, though most deserving is then Secretary
General Sir Shridath 'Sony' Ramphal. The lead member, Britain, had after all,
paid lip service to Ian Smith's unilateral declaration of independence, his
apartheid practise and support and supply of arms to a repugnant South
Africa regime. So negative were the views of the British Conservative
government that to them, our 'saint' Mandela was a terrorist not to be released
or negotiated with.
But time is a good healer. By 1994, as the Secretary General states, the
"largest Commonwealth observer team ever assembled was at the South African
elections". Now I wonder, why the previous fuss and associated deaths!
Talking tough and as if to cleanse, it immediately suspended " those who
flouted ...guiding principles, most obviously Nigeria in 1995 and Sierra Leone
in 1997",
But no wonder visionary Nkrumah "pushed hardest for the creation of an
independent Commonwealth Secretariat, and a Commonwealth Foundation to support
civil society".
Describing the Commonwealth as a "grouping of independent yet inter-dependent
states which share common values, are bound by common rules and ..common goals"
is fine. But how could Zimbabwe be suspended in 2001 following multi party
elections, while Uganda was quickly brought back to the fold in 1996 after sham
elections in which political parties were banned? Was it not in Zimbabwe
itself, when in 1991, a reasonably definitive and comprehensive set of "Harare
Declaration" of democratic principles were adopted by Heads of State and
governments?
Zimbabwe was a multi party democracy with five consecutive free, fair and
competitive elections before the supposedly 'controversial ones of 2000/2002',
while Uganda had been a military cum- one party state, assumed by force of arms
in January 1986.
Museveni had ruled by decree dictating that "existing political parties {then}
namely, DP, UPC, UPM,CP, were to exist in name only but not; open branches,
operate existing ones, hold conferences to elect local or national leaders,
hold public rallies, sponsor or offer platform or campaign for any candidates
in local or national elections, or, carry out any activity that might be deemed
to "interfere" with the monolithic discredited so called 'movement' political
system. Extraordinary, but not yet. When a supposedly new constitution was
promulgated in October 1995, these obnoxious provisions were codified under
Article 269. It was against this background that the 1996 and 2001 election
charade were held in Uganda. How much Commonwealth's shared values have been
applicable to and in Uganda for the last 21 years under Museveni?
What was the Commonwealth's position on Uganda's referendum on 'political
systems' in 2000 and the 'no-party' elections in 2001? Two people were sent,
days before those elections, in order for them to come back (to London) and
"advise" the Secretary General. Tens were sent weeks in advance to Zimbabwe.
Are Ugandans part of the human race?
Uganda was among the few African countries committed to multi party democracy,
only one of five when in 1980, we were the first country to voluntarily invite
foreign observers to our elections; a first and an insightful phenomena.
Milton Obote, at paragraph 88 of his 'Notes on Concealment of Genocide in
Uganda', (see www.upcparty.net/archives), quotes the exemplary role of the
Commonwealth independent election monitoring team in context : " It is unique
in the annals of democracy for a sovereign nation to invite an international
group to observe its national elections and report whether they were free and
fair. Our role, which was endorsed by all the four political Parties, is
without precedent. The response of the people of Uganda to our presence has
been heart warming."
The team reported that notwithstanding emerging from war and economic
destruction, "despite.deficiencies to which we have drawn attention..subject to
the concern expressed on the question of nominations and unopposed
returns...this has been a valid electoral exercise which.broadly reflect the
freely expressed choice of the people of Uganda."
Since 1986, Uganda flouted the Harare Declaration and other human rights
abuses but UPC petitions to the Commonwealth were to no avail. Any surprise
then, that Uganda is hosting them in November 2007? Partly because of our
pressure, unconfirmed reports suggest the Summit in Malta in 2005 was truly
one for Mr. Museveni but for the Club's difficulty to justify their presence in
Kampala while opposition leaders are exiled, jailed, political parties banned
and 20% of the Queen's former subjects in northern Uganda languishing in
Concentration Camps, thanks to 'new breed' of Commonwealth hosts.
But I sense some unease. In a rare credit to African initiatives first to
Nkrumah for his advocacy for unity and then to illustrious Nyerere and Kaunda
as "prime movers in codifying the Commonwealth principles of democracy and
human rights" endorsed by the Heads of government meeting in Singapore in 1971,
the Secretary General conveniently omits my hero and Uganda's founding father,
Dr. Milton Obote. Since it might be an error of curriculum it is important to
assert that Obote was at the helm of that team pushing for democracy and human
rights and de facto Spokesperson for Leaders advocating for total
liberation of continental Africa, especially South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe,
Angola and Mozambique.
Lest we forget, Prime Minister Edward Heath, warned publicly that some leaders
would not return to their countries from that Summit. Reasons? A military coup
by Idi Amin was already underway, by endorsed by Britain and Israel, against a
democratically elected Commonwealth country.
Amin was immediately baptised "a gentle giant, a man we could do business
with, a man..good for Britain and for Uganda." Was he? Shortly after words,
Amin was in London, including tea with the Queen. Uganda has never been the
same again. Is there any wonder that for the last 21 years, some of those who
imposed Amin on Uganda have been working so hard to correct their error by
experimenting with yet another 'new breed'?
These are neither partisan nor Ugandan issues alone. For African unity and
development, lessons must be learnt, our history written, without omission,
let or hindrance in the interest of posterity. Africans badly need positive
historical references, achievements and associations. We too often allow others
to create artificial heroes and erase our would-be prides and achievements.
If the Commonwealth Summit were to take place in Uganda this year, how nice
would it be for the Queen of England together with her team, to spend just a
few hours in Luwero, parts of northern and eastern Uganda, accompanied by all
Uganda's political leaders, including Museveni. What a good beginning for
Uganda and Africans if we received an apology for imposing Idi Amin on us and
for not listening to the cries of Ugandan democrats and human rights activists
for the past 21 years. It would constitute a token basis for healing and,
like 'saint' Mandela, begin to build for the future.
Joseph Ochieno is the UPC Special Presidential Envoy to the United Kingdom and
Ireland. He writes, commentates and campaigns for human rights and multi party
democracy in Africa.
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
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