By Rolex Akena-Ogwal
Friday, June 13, 2008

PLEASE help me insert my concerns on the negligence of the United Nations and United States Government in handling the current political crisis in Zimbabwe.

It’s clear in the minds of all right thinking Africans that Mugabe’s rule is off the truck now. What bothers me most is the usual pleas and barking by the American Government and United Nations telling Mugabe administration to respect human rights and stop oppressing the opposition led by MDC’s Morgan Tsvangirai.

Why should the duo continue with their daily noise to direct the Mugabe’s Government which is clearly not willing to change from their autocratic, backward, dehumanizing and totalitarian rule against Zimbabweans!

It’s shocking to hear that a government led by human beings is stopping aid workers from distributing food aid to the hungry population who happens to be the country’s citizens.

Today you hear “police has detained opposition leader Morgan Tsvangira, tomorrow Mugabe is describing a fellow African brother- Tsvangirai as Western Parapet!, government charging opposition’s Tendai Biti with treason yet leaving the so called war veterans who are publicly threatening war incase Mugabe looses!

If I may ask, who should really be charged with treason, Tendai Biti or the War Veterans? Of course war veterans.

Why can’t America take the step it swiftly took on Saddam Hussein’s administration in Iraq to solve the Zimbabwean question?

I and other people who reason like me need to be educated on UN’s roles in world conflicts as well as America the world’s super power.

Otherwise Zimbabwe’s violence-marred election has posed a great test to the relevancy of the United Nations existence.

WAY FORWARD – UN and America should keep quiet instead of issuing statements of condemnation and appeals to President Mugabe’s Government. This makes them look like toothless dogs instead of taking actions on already enough appeals made by human rights organizations in Zimbabwe.

Rolex Akena-Ogwal
TEL: +256 772 589 522

The author is a Radio journalist in Lira, Northern Uganda.

A reaction to Hon Betty Amongi’s article entitled “Egwea missed several facts”

By Joe Wacha

I wish to render my contribution to the debate prompted by Mr Egwea’s article: “Lango Needs a Mao”.

Personally, I believe that the article, literally or figuratively, has a point that is so relevant to our region and its people as well as our collective future. It is not strange to suggest that the level of intervention in terms of development initiatives in Lango calls for a concerted, deliberate and selfless approach if much is to change positively.

My problem with most leaders in Lango is that they don’t seem to have an idea of, and actually doing what is right for their people. For those do, the impact is yet to make a collective impact.

For most politicians in Lango (this excludes those who rightly know their positive contribution) the only time to remember the local population have a right to good service and leadership is prior to election time.

For anyone who has closely monitored Mao’s leadership in Gulu, it is not wrong to suggest that Lango needs a Mao. And to indicate that he has a purpose to serve the people, Mao has indicated he won’t seek a second term!

I have infact thought for long that some of the leaders in Lango needed to make a study tour of Gulu with a purpose to find out how the former legislator gets it right because I really think he does.

Of course Lango maybe better in some instances but that is because Gulu was held back by war and insecurity. But if you focus on achievement in the last twenty or so months, you would be surprised.

Unlike in Lango where political party affiliation plays a major role in determining most issues, in Gulu and infact most of Acholi, interventions are people centered.

Whether it be NUSAF, securing scholarships for needy university, secondary and primary school students, seeking compensation for thousands of cattle lost to government soldiers during war, etc you hardly hear about the affiliations. Of course the leaders in Acholi also have their differences even at personal level but on the outside you hardly hear about them.

Most of the activities being undertaken in Acholi are not heard of in Lango. For example, I doubt if any of the leaders in Lango is aware that government is only days away from paying close to 1.4 trillion shillings to the nearly 4,000 Acholis in compensation for cattle eaten by NRA soldiers during the 1986/9 war.

I also doubt if any leader in Lango is aware that most of the Acholi who lost their lips, nose, ears to the LRA atrocities have been registered and undergone plastic surgery. Plus, there are many scholarships initiated to benefit children whose parents can’t afford to meet the fees in secondary, institutions and university tuition.

All this is news in Lango and to Lango leaders. Of course the initiatives don’t come running to look for Acholi and Gulu in particular. They require and are attracted or maintained by competent and corruption-free leadership.

In Lango or Lira for that matter even small things like Odwe Arage bursary scheme can no longer be traced. Even the demand for a constituent college of Gulu University that was backed by a presidential directive to be established at UTC, Lira may end up flying through the window.

Why? Too many capable leaders like Mao?

Also, I wish to see us appreciate the contributions by different people. For instance, I am not sure if in the past there was a forum to inform people about Lango and activities therein. I believe Lango Web is attempting to serve that purpose and I wish we appreciate the initiator/s and strive at making it vibrant at serving a meaningful purpose.

All who care should encourage this forum to bolster debate, discussion in seeking to address our problems and share ways forward. Of course other people may be bruised in the process but what is wrong if that will yield better results.

And unless we start seeing more needy children afford education either through scholarships or other means, and other services made available and affordable, we shall always keep on holding our leaders responsible.

Before I forget, Hon Betty Among says:

“There are several reasons outside Mao’s involvement ranging from it being the Head quarters of the North where all NGOs and Government has put up operational structure for rebuilding the North ….”

It’s not true that these things are automatic. They all require good and exemplary leadership to hold the initiatives together and true to the intended purpose. Take the example of the Gulu University constituent college that President Museveni said should be established at UTC, Lira. Does it look likely that it will open tomorrow long after the directive was made?

Hon Amongi further says:

The leaders of Lango have been responding to fundamental problems in Lango in a contextual and structural framework …. Linkages with those living in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja amd adjacent areas has always been coordinated by Lango Community Kampala areas ….”

Shouldn’t these well intended responses translate into clearly tangible results? I challenge those in position of authority and leadership to make it their role to focus their intervention on the people many of whom have no option for a better life.

Unless our approach is changed, Lango may not have educated people to fill in positions of leadership in near future.

The author is a Journalist based in Northern Uganda.

By Robert Egwea

Actually, Libyans fought side by side with Amin’s soldiers. 2,500 Libyan troops sent to aid Amin were equipped with T-54 and T-55 tanks, BTR APCs, BM-21 Katyusha MRLs, artillery, Mig 21s and a Tu-22 bomber, but they were easily defeated by the better organized combined Ugandan-Tanzanian forces commanded by David Oyite Ojok, Tito Okello and Yoweri Museveni.

After his fall, Amin fled to Libya and then to Saudi Arabia where he died like a pauper. So, by supporting Dictator Idi Amin, Gadaffi got it wrong and should have learnt some lessons then.

Uganda is a Christian country, where Muslims make less than 30% of the population. Gaddafi’s anti-Christian statement only helps to stir up sentiments against Muslims, and it is therefore not good for the stability of a country like Uganda. Attempts to turn Uganda into an Islamic state are not new, but the bulk of Ugandans have maintained their Christian faith.

During Idi Amin’s regime, force was used to convert people into Islam. The same Gaddafi was behind the jihad, but the whole scheme failed miserably. Again, Gadaffi got it wrong at that time. Amin was defeated and Uganda has remained a Christian country.

Gaddafi’s statement about the Bible in a predominantly Christian country is insensitive and blasphemous. Imagine what would happen if President Museveni, a born again Christian, rubbished the Koran while on a state visit to an Islamic country. If just a cartoon can drive Muslims mad, how about a statement rubbishing the very foundation of their faith?

President Museveni should not go the Amin way. He fought against Aminism and should therefore prove that he is different. Aminism was about ruthless dictatorship with an Islamic fundamentalist inclination. Museveni, believed to be a devout Christian, who went to the bush to restore democracy in Uganda, cannot go down the Amin route. He should uphold democracy and maintain the Christian identity of this great East African nation.