----- Original Message -----
From: Vovi Uganda e.V.
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Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2004 8:22 PM
Subject: HARDENED OR HEARTLESS?
UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS
NATIONAL SECRETARIAT
KAMPALA
Press Statement
HARDENED OR HEARTLESS?
1. When the BBC stringer delved into the feelings of Museveni about the massacre at Abia and Barlonyo, Museveni showed no regret or sadness but only reported that he was hardened. One may ask hardened so much that he has no feelings about mass murder or carnage of Barlonyo magnitude? But Museveni has strong feelings for his family, relatives and friends and generally his kith and keen and goes to such an extent of pleasing his supporters that he at times get accused of condoning or abetting crime.
2. Events of last week did not deter the parliament from responding to the mayhem. A motion by Hon. Dora Byamukama was debated with such gusto and seriousness that we were deceived that our rulers had some milk of human kindness in their bosoms. Alas we were just fooled. Minister after minister supported the motion to declare affected areas of northern Uganda Disaster areas. What happened after the motion had been passed without descent? Cabinet members met next day only to turn the spirit of the motion down! Adolf (not Hitler) Mwesigye gave the reason that first the reasons given were not convincing and second that the prerogative of emergency declaration was a sole preserve of the president. Here lies the problem. The fact that the president is "hardened" does mean that he cannot be advised, reminded or convinced even by such catastrophe as happened at Barlonyo. Does a hardened leader mean that he is hardened to reason? Cabinet could not have bitten its tongue on what colleagues had said in Parliament. They must have been reprimanded by the President. This shows to us how this cabinet does its business. The whole lot are a timid caucus, self serving gang, who preserve their source of bread at the expense of their souls. They just put their ears on the ground to conjure what Museveni wants and without question oblige. This exposes how the cabinet arrived at the recommendations they sent to CRC, absurd as they were, and Museveni having cajoled them poses as having not influenced the same. If this is what the cabinet we have, then may the Almighty God bless Uganda.
3. Indeed God will bless Uganda because the New Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi started his mission in the North with a call for reconciliation of government and the rebels (meaning Kony's LRA). There was solidarity of all the Christian church leaders and this was accompanied by practical support for the suffering people in the Northern Uganda. We need divine intervention and most so to work on Museveni's hardened heart. May God replace the stone made heart in Museveni's body with a soft one made of flesh that would respond to the suffering people of Uganda. The problem is Museveni more than Kony and his LRA. More over reports from the north continue to come in that the massacre at Barlonyo and the one at Abia were not carried out by LRA. There is a big barracks at Oger trading centre, just 8 Km from Barlonyo. Oger subcounty is surrounded by subcounties of Aromo, Alero, Okwang, and Apala where Abia camp is located. Lira town is 25 miles to the south of Barlonyo. Nobody sighted rebels entering or leaving Oger Sub County. The perpetrators of the mayhem were dressed in new UPDF uniform that was first displayed at Kololo NRM/NRA Day on 26th. January 2004. They had heavy weaponary only found with UPDF. In short they emerged from Ogur Sub County and melted in the same sub county. Another enigma is why did the UPDF bury the victims hurriedly?
4. The hardened heart is infectious. Most people in security have acquired the disease from their boss and are as afflicted, starting with the Minister of Defence Amama Mbabazi. In civilised societies a failed public officer takes responsibility and resigns. When accosted on the same issue Mbabazi twisted it around that resignation would mean surrender to terrorist. Yet he accepts that death of now confirmed 230 people at Barlonyo was due to UPDF failure to render the protection to displaced people. Failure of UPDF is failure of Minister of Defence, nothing more nothing less. Adolf Mwesigye was pathetic. If he was not in Parliament to hear the reasons adduced for the disaster that befell Northern Uganda, he should have asked those who were in the house, participated and endorsed the motion. Otherwise he was ordered by the boss and he just regurgitated the rot ad nauseum. He showed that he is no fit to be a sovereign minister. We cannot blame the soldiers such as Major Shaban Bantariza because for them it is Amri and Afande and no room for thinking, reasoning or expression of any feelings. However, National and constitutional obligation in article 208 apply.
5. An attempt was made to make the sad state of affairs in the North a tribal matter, i.e. a war between Acholi and Lango. Thank God those leaders in both communities were quick to reject the concoction. No matter the amount of manipulation juxtaposition or misrepresentation will shift the blame of war in the North from Museveni's head. It is his "lubengo" so he has to carry it square. Anybody who points out this truism is harangued by the psychophants and cronies.
6. UPC understands that the Prosecutor from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is in Uganda. We appeal to the Prosecutor to act transparently in his investigations. Museveni is looking for a carte blanche about the war in the north so as to obtain permit to issue an international warrant of arrest to Joseph Kony as the sole murderer of the people in the northern Uganda. The biggest murderer of the people of Uganda is Yoweri Museveni and his personal army NRA renamed UPDF in 1995. Every one willing to testify should be allowed, even those forced into exile by his regime should be invited to narrate what they know.
For God and My Country
Dr. James W. Rwanyarare
Chairman
Presidential Policy Commission
3rd March, 2004
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