UN should intervene early to avert a blood bath

By Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

Signs are that Uganda is slowly degenerating into a pariah state that has no regard, whatsoever, for human dignity and freedoms. And the partisan recruitment and positioning of security personnel seems driven by evil long term plans to re-enact the 1994 genocide that shook Rwanda and the world.

There can never be good intentions in allocating most of the key positions in the Police and army to people from the Western Region where president Museveni and his Generals hail from. Tribalism is suspected to be the cause of the brutal nature of the Police today under Major General Kale Kayihura.

These tribalistic and selfish acts are often followed by disregard for public opinion, crippling of institutions as their powers are usurped by the executive. Anger and hatred are in turn stirred up, waiting for an opportune moment to be vented out. That is if not handled appropriately; by dealing with and eliminating the cause.  

As the Walk to Work and Walk to Pray campaign to compel government respond to rising inflation intensifies, Police has come out to display the brute in it. Tear gas has been sprayed in hospitals, schools and homes. By April 21, five people, including a four- year old, had so far been killed. Many others have been arrested and dumped in prison with trumped up charges. The wounded and hospitalized are also many.

After the lessons in Rwanda, the UN should not fall in the same mistake of hesitating to arrest the situation in time.

In Uganda’s case, there is a lot of evidence pointing to government brutality. During the just concluded February general elections, government unleashed goons to brutally attack those who were known supporters of the opposition. The goons, with Police protection, came out with clubs adorned with nails to crack the skulls of their victims.

Another sign of the danger ahead was the lacing with acid, posters for the opposition candidates on top of pulling them down. It is this type of unchecked extremism that, with time, translates into full scale genocide. Most especially when the people and institutions supposed to check these excesses become onlookers or accomplices as is the case in Uganda.

The savage force that Police and the army are using to crack down on the unarmed people walking to work in a bid to compel government to respond to the escalating fuel and commodity prices is no accident; it is a well hatched plan to deny Ugandans any meaningful participation in the governance of their country.

President Museveni and cohorts have a backyard mentality, insisting that they are the most intelligent; they know everything and can decide and think for everyone. This is the bedrock for their disregard for the rights of others, and the justification of murder and torture. Dr. Besigye  and the Democratic Party president general, Nobert Mao have been sent to jail for walking to work. More that 100 people countrywide are languishing in jail on the same account.

Soldiers have been issuing threats to shoot journalists covering the protests. The threats have been taken to a higher level by government’s insistence that there should be no live coverage, threatening to close the media houses that refuse to comply. If Museveni feels ashamed of these barbarous acts, why then engage in them? One would think that the best way to be complimented is to let everyone see your performance. And then judge.

Freedoms of expression and association are so fundamental that their breach is bound to erode social cohesion which is the bond for co-existence and tolerance.  By denying Ugandans the right to know as well as express their opinions, Museveni is leading the country down that dangerous path of self destruction. But there is ample time, and warning to divert from that has been sounded long enough for who ever cares, to take appropriate action.

After engineering the removal of term-limits in 2005, president Museveni made a statement to the effect that he has to rule for life. Implications of this Rule for Life project are dire: politics of cheap popularity, consumption driven economy and political handouts instead of service delivery.

 Uganda today answers the definitions of a failed state. That is how a government that fails to fulfill state duties, obligations and turns against its own people is referred to. Never mind that Uganda has a government in place, and is in Somalia to restore the state. It is a case of giving what you do not have.

If every life is precious and worth protecting, then UN should intervene and save Uganda the blood bath that is stalking her.