Frank Nyakairu of the Monitor reported on Monday 9 Februay 2004 that the previous week's attack on a camp for the internally displaced in Lira in which about 47 people were killed was said by President Museveni not to be a massacre as reported by the New Vision. Museveni invited the heads of the only two leading newspapers, New Vision (partly owned by government) and a privately owned Monitor.

He told William Pike and Wafula Oguttu who are the respective heads of these papers that he wanted to clarify on the reports which said that a massacre had taken place at camp in Moroto County, 25km north of Lira Town. On Friday 6 February the New Vision carried a story with a headline "Massacre"

***************

----- Original Message ----- 
From: The Fugee 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Cc: [log in to unmask] ; UPCnet ; [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 10:09 AM
Subject: Re: [FedsNet] NORTHERN UGANDA MASSACRE: MUSEVNI SAY NOT MASSACRE.


Robert,

Considering that the gallant NRA were able to "massacre" more than 600 "rebels" in a single day how is it possible that 400 "rebels" can disrupt Acholi, Lango and Teso and keep 1,400,000 people in the IDP camps?

Maj. Gen. Fred Rwigyema:

"We killed about 350 and these are the bodies we have counted.  There
are many more bodies lying in the field.  These are ones we have counted so
far.  The number of the dead could be more than six-hundred (600) ..."  We
were surprised to see the rebels coming at us without taking cover.  We
kept massacring them but they kept coming and we killed so many".  (The
Standard, January 21, 1987)

Lt. Gen. Yoweri K. Museveni:

"The rebels attacked us (NRA soldiers) at a place called Corner Kilak
20 miles South of Kitgum (Town).  They came in while singing and shouting;
our people (NRA) massacred those chaps.  They approached us frontally.
This gave us a very good chance because they exposed themselves; so on
Sunday we surrounded them and massacred them.  We massacred them very
badly".  (The Standard, January 21, 1987)


The Fugee
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: [log in to unmask] 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 2:17 AM
  Subject: [FedsNet] NORTHERN UGANDA MASSACRE: MUSEVNI SAY NOT MASSACRE.


  NORTHERN UGANDA MASSACRE: MUSEVENI SAYS NOT A MASSACRE

  Frank Nyakairu of the Monitor reported on Monday 9 Februay 2004 that the previous week's attack on a camp for the internally displaced in Lira in which about 47 people were killed was said by President Museveni not to be a massacre as reported by the New Vision. Museveni invited the heads of the only two leading newspapers, New Vision (partly owned by government) and a privately owned Monitor. He told William Pike and Wafula Oguttu who are the respective heads of these papers that he wanted to clarify on the reports which said that a massacre had taken place at camp in Moroto County, 25km north of Lira Town. On Friday 6 February the New Vision carried a story with a headline "Massacre"

  DEFINITIION OF MASSACRE

  Nyakairu reported that his Excellence, called these journalists to State House Nakasero on Saturday 7 February 2004 to make a clarification on the incident, which he said was not presented accurately by the media. "It was not a massacre as Mr Pike put", the president is reported to have said. 

  The great leader is reported to have gone on to define what a massacre is ".a massacre means killing defenceless people." He is reported to have explained that the Amuka Milititia fought gallantly and repulsed the dandits, by which the great leader meant Joseph Kony led rebels. He is said to have gone further to say that it was during the fighting that some innocent civilians were killed. The president was concerned that the media did not bring out the vital and commendable role played by the militia in resisting the rebel attack.

  The Oxford English Reference dictionary defines massacre as a noun that denotes "a general slaughter of persons, occasionally of animals." In colloquial English, the dictionary said that the word is used to mean "an utter defeat or destruction. Furthermore, the dictionary said that as a Transitive Verb, massacre means "murder, especially a large number of people cruelly or violently or colloquially it means defeat heavily, destroy. 

  Nyakairu reported that "At least 47 civilians died in Thursday's gruesome attack by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army on Abia internally displaced persons camp" How could this not be an accurate report of a massacre?

  UPDF MISTAKE: MUSEVENI REPORTED TO THE JOURNALIST

  Nakaiyiru reported further that Museveni criticised the UPDF area Commanders for the mistakes made before and during the attack. His excellence said that UPDF made two big mistakes. Firstly, the commanders sent off Amuka Militia on a lone mission to search for the rebels. Yet all the commanders know that searching for rebels is the work of the UPDF. 

  The militia fighters are supposed to guard the rear and the roads. 

  Secondly, when the mititia sighted the bandits in Akwanga sub-county, they immediately informed the UPDF. But UPDF did not respond as expected. Instead the militia had to fight the enemy alone. His excellence is reported to have further explained that it was after the Akwanga battle that the rebels moved to attack the Abia camp.

  ARMY COMMANDER ENQUIRY

  Maj General Aronda Nyakairima is reported to have set a Board of Inquiry. The Maj General was also present at the press conference together with the Minister of State for Information Mr Nsaba Buturo.

  Surely one of the finding is already known, the commanders, whose names are not mentioned, are said by the President to have made a mistake. The question is why?

  ONLY 400 REBELS LEFT: MUSEVENI ASSERTED

  Museveni said that the offensive against the Kony fighters was going on very well. Most of their senior commanders have been killed by the army in recent encounters reducing their estimated force to about 400 men split in 8 groups. Five groups under Kony, Otti, Abudema, Banya and Kapere are in Sudan while three groups under the overall command of Odhiambo are still roaming northern Uganda. Nyakairu wrote "the president said that Odhiambo is the next rebel commander UPDF is going to kill."

  PEACE INITIATIVE

  Museveni said that he had done everything possible. At the request of Carter Centre, he even wrote a peace letter to Kony guaranteeing the safety of the rebels if they surrender. The letter was delivered to Kony in person at Situ in Sudan by one of former US President Jimmy Carter's men.

  CONCLUSION

  The reader should make up his or her own conclusion.









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