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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Fri Apr 15 2011 - 18:37:11 EDT
"Museveni backstabbed an African country by playing an active part in the
passing of the sanctions imposed against Eritrea on Christmas Eve 2009. Uganda
used the privilege and position that it had as a temporary member of the
Security Council to serve the interest of others than advance the interest
of Africa"
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/index.php?news=7832
*Museveni and the Art of Puppetry*
14 April, 2011 10:49:00
By S Marcos
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni wrote a lengthy article[i] on the 21 March
2011 about Col. Gaddafi and the West’s actions in the ongoing Libyan
conflict. Asserting that Gaddafi is an independent thinker, he wrote how he
is “not able to understand the position of Western countries which appear to
resent independent-minded leaders and seem to prefer puppets.” I am prompted
to write this article by Museveni’s counting of himself amongst the
“independent-minded African leaders” in order to show the gaping disconnect
between his rhetorical gimmick and his track record.
Museveni’s claims are questionable on several grounds. First there has been
bad blood between him and the Libyan leader that Museveni was scared enough
of Gaddafi to seek protection from US government, according to Wikileaks, by
providing ‘additional air radar information when he flies over international
waters.’ That perhaps explains why the Ugandan government is busy freezing
Libyan assets today.
Having simply brushed off the unjust self-serving aerial and missile bombing
of Libya by Western countries as “rushed”, Museveni went on to distinguish
Gaddafi from puppets whom he deemed undesirable:
*“Puppets are not good for any country......... I prefer nationalists to
puppets of foreign interests. Where have the puppets caused the
transformation of countries? I need some assistance with information on this
from those who are familiar with puppetry.”*
Finding someone who is more familiar with puppetry than Museveni is a
challenge. The following brief points will show that Museveni is nothing but
a puppet of the highest order.
Ever since Museveni wrote that famous longwinded letter[ii] on 28 August
2001 to Clare Short, the former British Minister for International
Development, requesting additional aid to restore Uganda’s military capacity
as well as seeking approval of his government’s budgetary management, the
world had known that he is nothing but a puppet. The letter revealed how
Museveni’s Uganda operates and who pulls the strings.
At the time, Museveni did not present his concern about the alleged threat
from Rwanda to his parliament. He did not even refer the matter to the AU
or the UN. Instead, he wrote a letter to Claire Short begging her to allow
him to increase his defence spending. This proved beyond doubt who Museveni
is answerable to and who gives him orders.
In his recent piece on Gaddafi, Museveni stated that “Idi Amin came to power
with the support of Britain and Israel because they thought he was
uneducated enough to be used by them”. If the British are interested in
someone whom they can use, then one wonders why Mr Museveni continues to
seek the protection of Britain and surrounds himself with British advisors
and experts? Paul Collier, William Pike and Linda Chalker are his advisors
to mention but few.
It is known that the former UK minister for international development Lynder
Chalker under John Major’s premiership is responsible for running the show
when it comes to foreign and economic policies in Uganda. The ‘very
luvvie-duvvie’ relationship that Museveni has with Lynder Chalker has been
talked about in the past.
Wikileaks has disclosed what we already know about Museveni. According to a
cable released by Wikileaks, Museveni met the inept former US Assistant
Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, in Kansas on June 13
2008. It was revealed that Museveni has been busy bashing African countries
and leaders. He was attacking President Joseph Kabila of DRC for failing to
keep his promise in taking action against the Lord’s Resistance Army. Museveni
also reported his belief that the LRA is still supported by the Sudan.
President
Robert Mugabe was not also spared in Museveni’s diatribe. This is what the
cable recounted: “Museveni thought Zimbabwe’s faltering economy and
Mugabe’s poor understanding of the private sector were at the root of
Zimbabwe’s political problems. He said a discussion of the economy would
provide an entry point to tell Mugabe that he has failed and is embarrassing
liberation leaders.” After these revelations, one wonders who the most
embarrassing leader in Africa is.
In another meeting on September 14, 2007, Museveni begged Ms Frazer to take
action against Eritrea. He knows how to please his backers and is well
aware of which button to press to get into their pockets. He knew that Ms
Frazer had an axe to grind against Eritrea and that she would be pleased to
hear an African leader asking for Eritrea to be punished. Museveni told Ms
Frazer that President Isaias Afeworki of Eritrea “needed to be intimidated”.
Museveni backstabbed an African country by playing an active part in the
passing of the sanctions imposed against Eritrea on Christmas Eve 2009. Uganda
used the privilege and position that it had as a temporary member of the
Security Council to serve the interest of others than advance the interest
of Africa.
In a typical and predictable fashion, he defended the illegal invasion of an
African country, Somalia, by another African country, Ethiopia. The invasion
created what the U.N. described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Those who took measures against Eritrea unjustly knew very well that the
sanctions would not bring solution to the complex problems in Somalia. The
situation has only gotten worse since sanctions were imposed against
Eritrea. The ‘peacekeepers’ have not come out of their foxholes in
Mogadishu where they have been hiding for fear of being “taken out” by
snipers, as one of the Ugandan Lieutenants admitted. The chaotic situation
in Somalia will be allowed to continue as it serves the interests of some
powers who wish to see Somalia remain in the Stone Ages. Museveni will
continue to count his dollars and Somalis will continue to count and bury
their dead until the day of reckoning.
Uganda has no reason for sending ‘peacekeepers’ to Somalia if it weren’t for
its own self-serving interest and to please some powers. At the official
launch of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in
2007[iii]<http://uk.mg40.mail.yahoo.com/dc/blank.html?bn=559&.intl=uk&.lang=en-GB#_edn3>,
Museveni told journalists and diplomats:
“*our peacekeeping is different from these western Countries. The Western
countries do not listen carefully. They are full of themselves, they think
they know everything. That is why they make mistakes,”*
The double forked tongue and empty bravado of the President knows no bounds.
We now know how different Uganda’s style of peacekeeping is: confine
yourself to certain areas, stay in your foxholes, dodge bullets, count days,
earn money and get a pat on the back. Museveni thought of himself as an
expert, a messiah who could deliver Somalia out of the abyss. By talking
tough in front of the British High Commissioner and British diplomats, he
wanted to show that he was not a puppet, but the world knows better.
Museveni further added,
"*African issues are not that difficult. They only become difficult when
handled by people who do not know how to handle them… We have some
terrorists who may be hiding somewhere in Somalia even after the Ethiopian
intervention, but (they) will be handled.”*
Museveni has obviously learnt that the situation in Somalia was as complex
as it could get. He is now well aware that Somalia is not, as he thought,
the golden cow like Congo that he could milk easily. In Somalia, there
simply is no peace to keep. Uganda has neither the capacity nor the
intention of bringing peace to Somalia. Uganda has not been able to keep
the peace in its own backyard let alone in Somalia. The Somali insurgents
are roaming in the centre of Mogadishu without any meaningful challenge.
Ugandan ‘peace keepers’ are unable to raise their head above a parapet or
step out of their armoured vehicles. Somalia is still in turmoil and the
tough talk, the huffing and puffing of Museveni has now been proven to be
hot air. It is abundantly clear to all that Uganda is not in Somalia
because of its love for Somalis or Africans.
Museveni accused Gaddafi of interfering in the internal affairs of many
African countries ‘using the little money Libya has compared to those
countries’. At least Libya, unlike others, used its own money. With
regards to interfering in the affairs of others, Museveni’s reputation for
being reckless and opportunist is not new. Uganda occupied north eastern
Democratic Republic Congo and was responsible for plundering the country’s
resources including gold and diamond estimated at US $10 billion between
1996 and 2001. The International Court of Justice[iv] in The Hague found
Uganda guilty of killing and torturing civilians, destroying villages and
plundering natural resources during its five-year occupation. A U.N. report
singled out Uganda for being responsible for aiding warlords in the district
of Ituri in a conflict that killed 60,000 innocent people. Museveni’s
family members were named as ‘big players’ in the exploitation of Congo. The
only reason why he has not been referred to the ICC is because his
puppeteers protected him.
The Ugandan army, UPDF, that was responsible for grave violations of human
rights, involving the wholesale killing, torture and rape of the civilian
population in one African country, cannot be expected to bring peace in
another.
For those who treat Museveni as their errand boy, he is a democrat. He is a
Champion. Come to think of it for a moment, he has been in power for over
25 years. According to some reports[v], Museveni has surrounded himself
with many of his family members, many of whom hold senior positions in his
administration. His brother, General Caleb Akandwanho is the Senior
Presidential Advisor on Defence. His brother-in-law, Sam Kuteesa is the
Foreign Affairs Minister. His wife, Janet, is a minister for Karamoja
region and was promoted to the Cabinet. His daughter is the Private
Secretary to the President. The Finance Under-Secretary is a cousin of the
first lady. His Private Secretary for legal affairs is the nephew of his
wife. Musevenis’s niece was reported to be working as secretary to Baroness
Lynder Chalker’s office in the House of Lords in London. His son, who
underwent military training in the UK and the US, is the Commander of
Special Forces and was recently given the control of the elite presidential
guard.
The good President has an entire brigade protecting him from his own people.
The opposition party is accusing the president of preparing his son to
succeed him. Museveni feels no shame in creating this dynasty and turning
the presidency to a monarchy. Like the proverbial frog in boiling water, he
and others like him may not appreciate that the heat has been turned on
until it is too late. No one, including his son, will be able to save him
when his time comes.
Museveni has done everything he could to secure his aid money and protection
from the West by being a good boy, taking orders as well as giving out
lands, invading neighbouring countries, sending his troops on so called
‘peace keeping’ missions, backstabbing African leaders, helping to impose
sanctions against an African country, etc. President Museveni is the master
of the art of puppetry and his accusing other African leaders of being
puppets is a typical case of the pot calling the kettle black. He is the
undisputed champion of puppets.
The writer can be reached at smarcos22@yahoo.co.uk
------------------------------
[i]<http://uk.mg40.mail.yahoo.com/dc/blank.html?bn=559&.intl=uk&.lang=en-GB#_ednref1>
Museveni’s Article on the Daily Monitor:
http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/-/688342/1130506/-/urxxsg/-/index.html
[ii]<http://uk.mg40.mail.yahoo.com/dc/blank.html?bn=559&.intl=uk&.lang=en-GB#_ednref2>
Museveni’s Letter to Clair Short:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5391/is_200201/ai_n21324284/
[iii]<http://uk.mg40.mail.yahoo.com/dc/blank.html?bn=559&.intl=uk&.lang=en-GB#_ednref3>
Rueters Report:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/01/06/us-somalia-conflict-uganda-idUSL0576014620070106
[iv]<http://uk.mg40.mail.yahoo.com/dc/blank.html?bn=559&.intl=uk&.lang=en-GB#_ednref4>
International Court of Justice verdict:
http://www.asil.org/insights060109.cfm
http://www.haguejusticeportal.net/eCache/DEF/2/204.TGFuZz1FTg.html
[v]<http://uk.mg40.mail.yahoo.com/dc/blank.html?bn=559&.intl=uk&.lang=en-GB#_ednref5>
BBC Report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8542568.stm
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