NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY

(N O D)

M E M O R A N D U M

ON

“The Need For NEW ORDER

And

RESOLUTION

To Restore Peace, Unity And Democracy to Uganda”

And

The Aims And Objectives of NOD

AN APPEAL

NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY (NOD) HEADQUATERS,
KAMPALA – UGANDA
MARCH 1993

“Twenty-two Martyrs, yes, all of them in Heaven
and nearly half as many Dictators,
not all of them in Hell yet; from one
and the small country same

INTRODUCTION ON UGANDA

1/ Uganda, the forgotten PEARL OF AFRICA, is a country of currently Twenty (20) million peoples of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds; the majority of them being a rural peasantry to a very significant extent. This is a truly heterogeneous society.

The country enjoys a beautiful tropical climate and on the whole, has one of the best soils in the region. Bounded by her immediate neighbours Kenya to the east, Sudan to the north, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, and Zaire to the west; Uganda’s 240,000 square kilometers boasts great water systems which account for about 20 % of all the land area. A mountain terrain on the eastern border and a snow capped one on the western border “Mountains of the moon” complement the scenic beauty with the surrounding highlands commonly referred to as the “Switzerland of Africa”.

Being predominantly agricultural, the main export earner has remained coffee, cotton, tea, and sugar. Agro-based processor industries are the main backbone of the industrial sector, with a little copper smelting. All exports leave by road or rail to the sea outlets in Kenya and Tanzania.

2/ The diversity of Uganda’s ethnic and cultural population is in the fact that the major African Ethnic groups meet in this land;-

i) The majority BANTU peoples who dominate the subcontinent from Lake Victoria downward up to Cape Town.

ii) The NILOTICS who occupy the land north of lake Kyoga into the Sudan, and

iii) The NILO-HAMITIC Ethnic group who occupy parts of east and north-east into Ethiopia.

The historical and cultural differences between these ethnic groups are so divergent that the only common denominator in some cases is paradoxically Uganda the country itself!

3/ However, some of these societies had extremely developed and well defined governmental structures by the advent of the British, for example, the Buganda Kingdom. This background had a bearing on Uganda’s first Constitution and form of government, and it still continues to be a thorny issue. The matter was simply put, not properly dealt with.

As a British Protectorate, the issues of form of government and even the cardinal point of Independence itself were highlighted, and an untenable Constitution of 1962 was soon afterwards shredded by Milton Obote who thought the answer was to be found in his own undebated Constitution of 1967 ushering in Republicanism.

4/ In other words, at the time Uganda became independent on the night of October 9th 1962, there existed no nation at all, but Nationalities that were extremely suspicious of each other and were at each others’ throats.

5/ Religion played havoc and political parties, namely Uganda National Congress (UNC) which later became Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), and the Democratic Party (DP) all took not only religious lines but also the narrow tribal and ethnic ones. Other political parties like the Kabaka Yekka (K.Y) party was a mere pressure group with only one theme at heart: the maintaining in place of a monarchy; and not even the consideration of the other Kingdoms, let alone addressing political issues for governance of the other parts of the nation which did not have as nearly a similar system. An unholy marriage for the sake of ascending to political power between UPC and K.Y resulted in exactly that, but did not represent any attempts, or indeed any advance, towards genuine National Unity or Nation Building.

6/ Uganda was therefore at independence, ripe for civil turmoil and anarchy; and the Protectors must have known what they were leaving behind them; without any kind of guarantees. The Lancaster Conference had not of course provided the badly needed answers for long term resolution of Uganda’s problems.

7/ The first UPC government found itself completely ostracised and unable to operate effectively in the Capital. The UPC reaction to fight back and get on top of the situation led to the brief war in and around Kampala, and the unmistakable clear rift between UPC and the Royalists and the Conservatives. The 1967 constitution simply postponed problems.

8/ The fertile ground for treachery, intrigue, manipulation, deceit, greed, tribalism and ethnicity soon opened up and a succession of dictatorships started popping up, beginning with the infamous Idi Amin, a direct result of our own political genesis: Reliance on the gun.

9/ NATIONAL SERVICE AND NATIONALISATION

UPC and significantly, Obote’s own attempts at experimenting with Revolutionary ideologies, (at the time quite appealing) on a raw heterogeneous people, issues like NATIONAL SERVICE and NATIONALISATION, compounded Uganda’s problems of Nation Building. Obote’s “Common Man’s Charter” was a bold and dynamic attempt to shift the power base away from reliance on the gun, and place more control on the people themselves. But it was a UPC blueprint, and not the consensus of Ugandans of all political affiliation. Further alienation of UPC resulted from this new economic approach, forcing UPC to repressive counter measures, for example, postponement of the General Elections, and the presence of a strong plain-clothes police force.
10/ Then there were the debilitating problems of extremely weak Administrative and Management qualities showed by the novice President and his young inexperienced Cabinet colleagues, on matters of morality, discipline, ethics and dissipation of Executive power to unhierarchical structures like the Minister of the Interior, the Army, the Head of Security Police, etc. The inevitable result was the weakening of the Executive, lack of coordination, conflicting decisions, thus leaving vacuums for rumour mongers.

11/ The MORAL FABRIC of the Nation started disintegrating as far back. This has had a particularly telling effect on the various Armies and on the various political leaderships, some of whom can no longer differentiate between a hotel room and home; between wine and water!

12/ The POLARITY Structure of the two main opposition parties, UPC and DP has been the biggest contributor to the turmoil and carnage the country has witnessed.

The Democratic Party for example, has literally jumped to bed with every coup maker and plotter – including with Gen. Okello and now with Gen; Museveni. The total lack of national interest and consideration has earned the DP leadership political “Chameleon” status. As their only consideration is being in government, with anyone, any gunman, if need be. To leave no doubts behind, the DP always refused to form government with the UPC; another political party, but would form a “broadbased” government with any coup plotter! The DP leadership has therefore demonstrated that kind of self-conceited, greedy, suicidal political blindness and recklessness that it has lost all moral rights to lead the Ugandan people, including all the Honorable DP followers. The DP leadership has gone to the extent of shooting down National programmes and relief efforts because the opposition would presumably benefit from such popularity. They have starved their own supporters too, in order not to give credit to the opposition. In other words, these POLARITY parties have continued to give each other the ZERO OPTION

13/ Because of the deep rooted rivalry and division between DP and the UPC, numerous occasions have arisen for the gun men to exploit, almost always with the encouragement of one or the other. As a result Nationhood has been jeopardised and the Sectarian various interests of party survival and ascendancy to political office have been promoted at the expense of Nation Building. Therefore, Uganda is as far, if not further away, from national Unity than when the British left us 30 years ago.

14/ These political parties continue to be led by the same Independence stalwarts. For example, Milton Obote still remains the undisputed leader of UPC, since 1960, Even when Milton Obote is in exile for nearly a decade, UPC is totally powerless to initiate and implement leadership succession in Uganda. Even if Obote was to vacate the scene, his ghost would obviously continue to walk the corridors in UPC. It is therefore obvious that meaningful change cannot come from internal changes or simple succession – short of a complete overhaul to mean NEW DIRECTION and IDENTITY

The same exactly goes for the DP and CP, ULP, etc. These changes, even if they are possible, would take an awfully long time, at the great expense to the Nation.

15/ THE GEO-POLITICAL FACTORS

The significance of Uganda in the region is amply demonstrated by her strategic endowments.

i) The White Nile river is the waterline for Arab Sudan and Egypt, to the extent that Egypt still has Engineers stationed at the dam in Jinja to ensure the smooth inhibited flow of the water to Egypt. The Egyptian and Sudanese governments have been and still continue to request for “The Nile Authority” to be established.

ii) After the completion of the SUEZ CANAL, Uganda’s military strategic advantage became obvious to the British especially, who wanted to control the shortest route to India. Lord Cromer, the then British Council General in Cairo, presented to Her Majesty’s government, in 1896, a very strong argument for the control of Uganda as a military strategic country in the defence of Sudan, Egypt and India itself.

iii) Sudan is the backdoor of the Arabs, and Joseph Lagu’s and now John Garang’s protracted wars to the south creates a military stratagem for Tel-Aviv especially if Uganda allowed concessions to the Jews (which was part of the reasons for the 1971 coup). At the height of the Israeli-Arab was in 1967, Uganda’s position was paramount and still remains so until that conflict is decisively resolved.

iv) Uganda has also been a positive catalyst for economic development of the region, having provided through her higher institutes of learning (especially Makerere University) the manpower resources needed for such development.

v) The Uganda Railway was built with the tremendous potential of Uganda in mind. Until the interruption of the East African Community, Uganda played her role as a good neighbour in the region, providing and integral market and revenue source for the economic region.

vi) As a Tourist destination, tourism was number two to agriculture in importance and Entebbe Airport was the regional touch-point for onward connection for continental destinations. There was therefore the “pull effect” on development of the region.

vii) In the continental context, Uganda assumed her role among nations as a founding Member of the OAU, and an ardent believer in the principles of Non-alignment. As a member of the UNO, and the Commonwealth of Nations, Uganda advocated for the immediate emancipation of colonised Africa and other peoples elsewhere; especially as a member of MULUNGUSHI CLUB.

viii) The shortest strategic route between the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean goes through Uganda. And the Great North Road from Cape Town to Cairo bisects Uganda into two parts.

ix) Uganda too has certain strategic minerals rarely found elsewhere.

16/ IDI AMIN and other SUCCESSIVE short-lived Governments.

The ascension of Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada into the political appex of power in Uganda changed the geo-political situation in the East African region significantly.

Amin was indeed a colonial accident. With the upheavals of the late 19th Century in Sudan, and Emin Pasha’s activities, many Nubi found themselves migrating to the south into Uganda. The British Government also used the war-like Nubis to subjugate the Kenyans during the formation of the Kenyan Colony, for example, against the Nandi of Kenya.

More important, after the conclusion of the Second World War in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the British Colonial Burma Forces (Kings African Riffles) returned home to East Africa.

Among them was a sizeable contingent from the present Sudan. The British decided to settle their ex-veterans in various places in Uganda particularly around old Garrison towns and Bombo (Luwero) about 20 miles north of Kampala. Luwero became Amin’s headquarters of his dreaded Mechanized Specialist Reconnaissance Regiment. Amin hails from that colonial accident.

Luwero was to become Museveni’s power base too, where he carried out his rebel war before he was flushed out to Sweden in 1984.

Amin, relying heavenly on the gun and his narrow tribal clique and Tutsi refugees from Rwanda tried to route his power in ISLAM and ARAB influence. Uganda became the only black member of the Islamic League- up to today. Amin, playing with the old weapon of religion, this time chose to use Islam against the predominantly CATHOLIC and PROTESTANT churches, which he perceived as leaning towards the DP and the UPC respectively.

Libya and Gaddafi, suddenly became Uganda’s most important foreign friends – from the traditional Christian West. But not of course, before Amin had paid a visit to Tel-Aviv and to Whitehall, soon after ascending to power! Today, Museveni is still stuck with Libya and Gaddaffi, and Saddam Hussein, to mention just a few of his important Islamic friends.

17/ The holocaust Amin unleashed on Uganda and the destabilization to the region (he claimed chunks of Kenya, then parts of Eastern Zaire, Sudan, and finally the Kagera Salient of Tanzania), eventually led to his demise from the political scene in 1979 ahead of Tanzanian troops and an assortment of Uganda Liberation groups. (An expansionist indeed reminiscent of Hitler, Saddam and Gaddaffi).

18/ Idi Amin was the epitome of the failures of UPC and the DP to put the affairs of the Nation ahead of their sectarian priorities. Again, it showed the structural weaknesses within the UPC Executive Administration, especially Obote’s own Administrative weaknesses.

19/ Gen.Tito Okello was another stark example of the failure of UPC and DP to put the nation first. Their narrow despondent partisan interest always came first. Obote and UPC allowed Okello to walk to Kampala over a period of two weeks, after having laid to waste parts of Northern Uganda. He was a perfect example of a dead system. An example of ethnic considerations overriding the National interests. Militarism was once more allowed to take first position, after a brief period of constitutionalism though weak, between 1980 –1985.

The DP and all the other opposition groups feasted on the decadence of the situation, never ever looking back at the National interests. DP leadership and UPC power hungry opportunists danced before the gun. Rape, torture, murder, and all sorts of Human Rights abuses were committed under Okello’s six months of genocide.

The Nairobi Peace Accord of 1985 was no more than vultures agreeing on how to share the carcass together, in a manner that was first done in the MOSHI CONFERENCE OF 1979. In all these talks the number of guns and hence the political share were the cardinal factors in consideration. No attempt, not even the wish was manifested, to address the problems of Nation Building and other issues like Democracy. The people of Uganda were not even consulted. All Peace Conference have meant job sharing (Addis Ababa Accord 1990) and no surgery at all performed on the Nation to address the cancer eating away the national polity fabric.

20/ As of now, the evidence available strongly suggest that both the DP and the UPC are still locked up in a polarity war of ascension of power at the expense of the Nation, with no new ideas on Nation Building. This is a treasonable partisan inward looking and selfish approach which will not offer the much needed basis and the necessary foundation for National Unity, sustainable Peace and true Democracy. The DP and UPC members would rather die for their parties, and not for the Nation:

This genesis has produced yet another, more sophisticated, more cunning, most dangerous and brutal gun-man on the scene: Lt.Gen.Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

“…those who think we are there temporarily are joking…”
Museveni, 1988

“…we massacred those primitive chaps, they kept coming at us with nothing and we kept massacring them. You can go and see for yourself…” Museveni, 1987

“…for us, the ballot boxes are the guns and the ballot papers the bullets… elections were useless and unnecessary because NRA knows what is good for the people…” - Commander Kajabago Karushoke, 1987.

“…the National Resistance Movement Government does not consider those opposed to it as human beings. They are biological substances which should be eliminated…” - Commander Kajobago Karushoke – 1987.

“…the best known and widely used methods of torture under the NRM government has been three piece … Kandoya…Suitcase or Briefcase…” - Amnesty International.

“…is the Presidency of Uganda as important as the job of Mayor of London or what? …” - Museveni, 1985

“…kill them if necessary if they get in the way of power” - Museveni, Dar es Salaam.

“…yes, there was a policy to destroy food stocks that were assisting the rebels, to continue disturbing the peace…” - Museveni

etc, etc, etc, etc.

Lt.General Yoweri Museveni, like Idi Amin, is another historical accident on Uganda. Mseveni is a direct result of the civil turmoil in Rwanda of this century, which spilt Rwandese Tutsis into southern and other parts of Uganda escaping the ethnic massacres there. Museveni entered the political scene of Uganda noticeably during his exile life in Tanzania in the 1970s.

21/ By the time Amin was being pushed out by a combined force of rebels and Tanzanian troops, Museveni was among those fighting on the Mbarara axis. Then Museveni joined all the successive short lived government changing portfolios such as Minister of Regional cooperation, Minister of Defence, eventually rising to Vice-Chairman of the Military Commission up to the time of the 1980 General Elections.

22/ Museveni formed the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) to fight the elections barely three months before. The postponement of these elections of December gave Museveni an additional month or so, but did not save him. His party lost miserably everywhere except for one seat. He himself lost to a DP (his own brother in-law) opponent at his home constituency.

23/ LUWERO SKULLS

Museveni therefore declared the elections were rigged and decided to go to wage a bush war two months later with all the Tutsi majority he had recruited into the army as Minister of Defence then. Museveni waged a bitter war in Luwero, using the “FOCO THEORY” approach, which produced the infamous LUWERO TRIANGLE massacres. Museveni relied heavily on Gaddaffi for supplies and vital cash handouts. “Revolutionary Violence” (Frantz, Fannon, Mao) ensured he had a steady supply of “VOLUNTEERS”. As an ardent believer in STALIN, this theory was easy for Museveni to apply.

Luwero had another advantage. Not only is it dense tropical forest (Mazrui), but it was adjacent enough to the Capital, which meant any little noise would be heard outside (Propaganda). Luwero also had a Tutsi and Nubi settler populations.

24/ However, by 1984, Museveni had fled and sought political asylum in Sweden. His so called bush war had virtually ended and what was left of his troops scattered. Museveni sought asylum in UK and USA but was rejected by both countries.

But while still in Luwero, Museveni claimed in his “Selected Articles on the Uganda Resistance War” that he controlled large areas in the counties of Nakaseke, Kydondo, Busire, Ssingo, Buali and Wabusana, all of which are in Luwero, Mpigi and Mubende districts.

Museveni was later to display skulls in Luwero purporting them to be the victims of government brutality. And yet in the same pamphlet Museveni claims to have killed as many as six thousand government troops whose skulls only he knows where they are hidden in the same Luwero Triangle. In other words, Museveni told the World that only he has the unique ability to identify and relate human skulls to the owners; without any form of corroborative forensic investigation! It is significant to note, however, that the National Army, the UNLA was locked in battles combating banditry in Masaka, Mpigi, Mukono and West Nile districts against Uganda Freedom Movement/A, National Rescue Front/A the Federal Democratic Movement/A, and the Uganda Army, remnants of the Amin Army; and yet skulls of civilians were only discovered by none other than Museveni himself in the same area he boasted of having controlled and was a “No-go” area for government troops. All other areas did not discover civilian skulls.

Museveni is the most cabal of all Uganda’s dictators and murderers. Waving the flag of Human Rights and Fundamental change, Museveni arrived on the scene with a lot of goodwill from the West especially. In no time the champion of Human Rights had collected his skulls to decorate the roadside to prove how much he respected Human Rights! And yet these were victims of his own brutality, and no doubt, victims too of the UNLA in that CONFLICT AREA. We have evidence of the Luwero victims who survived to tell and will testify that Museveni terrrorised and killed civilians in Luwero using his FOCO Theory. He is an equally guilty party – if not more guilty.

Barely six months before that the Okello’s had given him his chance which he quickly tool. Museveni exploited the Nairobi Peace Talks to the maximum, to buy time and regroup the remnants of his boys who did not number 1000 anyway. He kept President Moi, the Conference Chairman, (whose honest search for Peace and National Unity for Uganda must be commended and remembered); and the Kampala War Lords at this table until December 1985 when he was ready for the final push. As soon as the Accord was signed, even before the ink was dry, Museveni tore it up and proceeded to the bush to take personal command of his troops to evict the government of which he was actually the Vice-President. Museveni had behaved typically like himself again. If Museveni had a genuine interest in Nation Building he would have given the Accord a chance. Museveni’s only dream was to ascend to the pinnacle of power. He thus entered Kampala on the 25th January 1985, the anniversary Amin also took power in Uganda in 1971. As if Museveni was a reincarnation of Idi Amin, Museveni was sworn to the Presidency on the 29th January 1985, the exact anniversary Amin himself was sworn in!.

Both Amin and Museveni owe their accession to power and their sustenance in power to Gaddaffi. Museveni, just like Amin, promoted himself to full General and has remained in his bullet-proof vest ever since. Both have banned any form of political activity, with Museveni camouflaging his dictatorship in Libyan tailored Resistance Councils with an indirect system of elections. Both have made Luwero State House. Both have relied on the ethnic minorities and the gun for clinging to power. Museveni’s base is infact a nepotistic clan cleavage.

25/ Once in Kampala however, the champion of Human Rights moved quickly to constitute the Human Rights Commission, which commission has brought nobody close to any Court of law. The commission was infact desecrated upon by Museveni’s own Commander and Director of the Ideological School when he said”… for us people constitute peasants, workers and a few intellectuals, the rest are biological substances who must be eliminated…” Up to date, Museveni or his government has not denied that statement as representing government official policy – indeed Commander Karushoke was simply telling the truth that Museveni constituted this commission to dupe the West. Museveni’s record shows that he does not believe in Human Right whatsoever.

26/ Then the bearer of the “good news” quickly banned all political parties and political activity except within his narrow concept of NRM “No Party Democracy”. He proceeded to postpone the promised elections on the pretext of insecurity and “… we don’t have the money to buy ballot boxed …” And yet he was expanding his notorious army from a mere three thousand to around a hundred thousand now. One of the biggest war machines in Africa.

27/ Museveni then unleashed genocide on the insurgents in the North, East and Kasese in the West applying mainly in the north and east his so called Scotched East Policy, burning villagers in their own grass huts, burning them in disused railway wagons, burning down the peoples foodstocks and rustling all their livestock which were ferried to Kampala by train and then on to Libya on a daily basis. He promoted inter-tribal feuds (for example between the Karamonjong and the Langi, Sebei, Iteso etc.) We have living evidence ready to testify in courts of law that Museveni distributed weapons by army helicopters to the Karamojong , as government policy for them to go and destabilize the neighbouring areas.

28/ The difference between Amin and Museveni in this case, is that Amin went for a particular individual whom he killed openly. Museveni, due to his belief in Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Fannon on Revolutionary Violence and Scotched Earth policy, wiped out villagers; that is children especially boys, women and men. He even tried in Kumi, the notorious Nazi style concentration camps where death was the order of the day. The church believes that up to four hundred people were dying daily in these concentration camps. Museveni has not disputed these figures up to now. And he knows they could be on understatement.

29/ The horrendous atrocities perpetuated by Museveni and as ably catalogued by Amnesty International and other authorities, like the church, are the tip of the iceberg. A lot more has happened which may never ever be known publicly. Amnesty International which began by astounding every Ugandan by their first publications of “genuine peace and Democracy having retuned to Uganda”, soon started to apologize for Museveni’s excesses and rationalizing about everything he did wrong. Amnesty International, when they caught Museveni red handed with Child Soldiers nearly gave him an apologesia. Museveni then boasted that in the African culture nothing was wrong for children to play with weapons of war- for that purpose it was possible to justify his action using a “Primitive” approach on his forces of “modernity”. To Museveni, the children he has forever destroyed were just ‘playing with weapons of war’. Up to date, NOD has not heard of any rehabilitation school for these children and Uganda is doomed to deal with this generation in the next years to come.

Having now come to grips with the truth:- which is that Museveni is a diabolical murderer whose insatiable appetite for power has earned him the title of the BUTCHER OF UGANDA. Amnesty International has now a number of recent publications of chilling stories about Museveni’s Human Rights excesses. In the hands of Museveni alone, Uganda must have lost close to a half a million of our sons and daughters in a war which was not necessary.

30/ To continue his graft on the West, Museveni continues to appoint Commissions of Inquiry to look into allegations of atrocities by his troops. We know, as a matter of fact that no people have been brought to book since, and none will be. There are cases like-okunguro train wagon massacres, Corner Kilak massacres, the murder of Andrew Kayiira, the deaths in various prisons and interrogation centers, the massacre of 300 villagers in Serere in 1987, the massacre of 400 villagers in Wera in the same year, 80 school children killed in lacor in Gulu Mission in 1987, 600 people massacred between 3rd to 10th October 1987 in Paya, Budaka, Apokoni, Kiyeyi, Rubongi and Nagongera in Tororo district. (some or them were bombed in Rubongi church where they had taken refuge); 300 school children of Kachonga Secondary School were shot dead; and above all, Museveni in February 24 and 27 used Sidi Macheti fighter planes flown by Libyans to bomb Magoro islands on lake Opeta in Soroti district. Chemicals were sprayed from helicopter on the same day. Museveni even attempted to poison the water wells in the East and North. A plan to poison salt and sugar destined for the same regions was foiled in 1987. Because for Museveni, it is a question of ‘wiping out’, extermination’, ‘cruch’, and ‘liquidating’ his own people. Museveni’s Human Rights abuses are too many and too painful to catalogue here.

31/ BROAD BASED GOVERNMENT

Another diabolical trick Museveni has played to the International Community and which the unsuspecting International Community accepted is the use of the ‘Broad Based government’. Museveni’s Ministers at one time numbered some seventy or eighty! Up to now Museveni keeps some three, four Prime Ministers on the tax-payers duplicated pay roll! All this to show how democratic and broad based he is. But of course all of us know that he got this system from the communist USSR.

The proportion of there appointments represent roughly, 75% of all Cabinet and other senior appointments coming from only two regions, namely, Museveni’s own Western region, and from Central region. The same applies for Permanent Secretaries, etc. To camouflage ethnicity and nepotism Museveni picked the gullible and power thirsty DP and CP leaders in these regions to join his government as individuals of course, since political parties have been banned. Other UPC disillusioned political failures also joined to form Museveni’s infamous so called broad based government. How can this administration be called broad based when individuals have joined it, and not other political parties? How can it be broad based when that administration is using only the NRM manifesto and programme of Action, and no other manifestos? How can this government be broad based when 75% of all its Ministers especially the high command all come from only two regions of the country, leaving out more than 50 % of the population? Does broad-based simply mean amorphous numbers?

In any case, broad based may not actually be democratic. The most important question is that of being REPRESENTATIVE. For Museveni, his government is neither broad based nor representative. It is one of the biggest frauds on Uganda. (The language now used in his Foreign Missions abroad has even changed from English, the official language, to Lunyankole, Museveni’s own language, which nearly every foreign service officer speaks!)

32/ Museveni hatched another diabolical trick on Ugandans. The much publicized ELECTIONS OF 1988 and 1992, and now the proposed election of 1994; if allowed to take place will throw Uganda back in her continued search for democracy and constitutionalism.

First and foremost, these elections are within the ambit of NRM/A only. To stand as a candidate therefore one must overcome the VETO System, which is actually the measure of your patronage and boot licking to Museveni himself.

Secondly, one electoral college of Resistance Council 1 (RC!) becomes the electoral college for RC2 which in turn becomes the electoral college for RC3; and so on upwards, until you get to RC5, your so called parliament. In short, this is an INDIRECT ELECTORAL SYSTEM the very one our gallant fathers discarded and fought against the Colonial masters. It is not ONE MAN ONE VOTE (adult suffrage) even under the NRM/A ambit. Therefore these elections are not Democratic. It is a farce.

To compound the problem, out of Museveni’s total parliament, about 50 % of all the seats are reserved for Mr. Museveni’s own appointees-the ‘Bush seats, etc’. So he has a majority vote all the time. How can the democratic world accept this as any semblance of democracy? Is this the new era, the new dawn Museveni promised Ugandans in particular? Put it differently, do the sins of the past regimes justify enough Museveni’s continued stay in power despite his own horrendous atrocities against the people of Uganda? What price must the people of Uganda have to pay more, to get this abominable system out of the way?

33/ NEW CONSTITUTION

Museveni’s wicked mind has another fraud going: THE NEW CONSTITUTION. To cling to power illegally, Museveni constituted The Constitution Review Commission which has taken a record time FOUR years to submit its findings. There is no need to discuss the illegitimate report as drafted by this illegitimate commission (for example the recommendations of Article 94 and 98 of the Draft Constitution proposing that NRM/A to continue in power until 1999 when it can then call a referendum on multipartism): What is important to point out here are two issues! Museveni, by appointing the Constitution Commission was simply prolonging his illegal hold on the power by holding everything at a stand-still. Two, Museveni and his government which is not democratically elected under adult suffrage of all enfranchised people, has no legitimacy to discuss previous or new constitutions. Even Museveni now admits his NRC is not legitimate or democratic enough to discuss the Draft Constitution and hence the cry for a directly elected Constituent Assembly. How is he going now to constitute his CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY when the majority of Ugandans are not in the mainstream politics, since these elections will be held under NRM umbrella. If Museveni accepts that his NRC is illegitimate and undemocratic and unrepresentative, then it follows that they had no mandate in the first place to make any recommendations on the Constitution of Uganda and no legitimacy to authorize for a Draft Constitution. That Constituent Assembly, if any, cannot be truly representative under Museveni’s present conditions. He will probably try and pick a few of his cohorts again; and then he will try and debate this draft for the next 7 years until 1999, according to its own recommendations. Most important the Uganda Constitution is a multiparty constitution and so Museveni should simply lift the ban on political parties. The issue of a referendum does not arise.
34/ In the area of Rule of Law and Constitutionalism, in the area of Democracy and in the areas of Human Rights, Lt. Gen. Museveni is a TOTAL FAILURE and will have to answer to these charges in future. Museveni has been in government long enough to be judged on his own record, and that record is abysmal, to say the least. The very trump card which brought him to power – Human Rights – is his most glaring failure. The card was obviously a joker.

35/ POPES VISIT

NOD welcomed the visit of the Bishop of Rome His Holiness Pope John Paul II, to Uganda in February this year.

Through this visit, the Church has ably demonstrated that it has not forgotten the sufferings and bleeding in Uganda.

However, the message of his Holiness to Uganda just after disembarking from his aircraft was that “…Please respect Human Rights…”

Then His Holiness, in his inspired judgment decided to visit the war-ravaged towns of KASESE in the West, GULU in the North and SOROTI in the East! For NOD, we do not need any further proof or vindication for our stand.

36/ TRADITIONAL RULERS:

After having taken advantage of Luwero’s metropolitan population, Museveni being the habitual liar that he is told the people of central province his biggest lie. He promised them their traditional ruler would be reinstalled on his throne.

It is now coming to eight years since Museveni assumed power in Uganda and no such chief (s) have been reinstalled.

However, because of mounting pressure from the democratic forces, for example NOD and other forces, Museveni has again panicked and began courting and sending overtures to the people of Buganda. This is being followed by some handouts already. The truth is Musevni told a lie. He does not believe in traditional society. He believes in doctrinaire, revolutionary Marxist and Stalin’s authoritarian totalitarian system of government where “…the bullet is the ballot paper…” He will buy and shield himself from the forces of Democracy by using the people of central province until such a time that he can shake them off – yet again!

And yet the issue of Traditional chiefs is not and should not have become a sore on our side. Obote and UPC completely mishandled it; The Conqueror of the British Empire Idi Amin, Imbingira and Shaban Oplot exploited it; Mwaanga sat on it; Okello missed the file on his desk and now Museveni has completely prostituted it. Let alone the shocking political weakness of the CP or KY to articulate the issue beyond the boundaries of one region; i.e having a regional approach on a National problem. Even worse, some politicians from Buganda itself are also exploiting the situation, to win cabinet posts and positions etc. Is it a wonder therefore that Museveni’s cabinet is about 75 % from western and central provinces alone? Is it a wonder that now again, Museveni is promising to install the Buganda Chief in June?

NOD’s position on this matter is to nod to what the people have to say. NOD will not close any door especially a door which concerns peoples beliefs, culture, history, heritage, ancestry and so forth.

NOD believes very strongly in the promotion of our diversely rich cultural heritage. Our approach is to enrich, encourage and bring to the fore, these unique and rich ancestral cultures we have, rather than try and suppress them because of desperation for a Nationality Identity. Our approach is that to be Ugandan, you must first be somebody else, and that somebody else is an epitome of his cultural heritage, his language, his traditions, his tribe. Our approach is that we must build from below upwards, consciously, building upwards towards the Nation. Not building from the Nation downwards to the small Nationalities, as all the previous governments have tried to do, and of course naturally failed. Some even tried to abolish some languages.

We must take a leaf from the lessons of the disintegration of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union into ‘Nationalities’ which are no more than tribes. Even our Colonial Masters the British are not really a homogeneous society at all. The Scots still wear their skirts, then there are the Welsh, the Irish and of course the English still drink their tea at four sharp!

This theory maybe termed POSITIVE NATIONALISM, for lack of a better terminology. It has succeeded tremendously in other countries, for example Zambia where the people have come to accept each other as they are. There has been no shedding of blood because of differences based on tribe or ethnicity.

In our case, one is made to feel guilty for being a naked Karamojong; or being a velvet skinned Acholi; or a tall long necked bald Muhima or a short nosed Muganda! NOD will work to reverse all these and provide the foundation, based on this cultural diversity and our heterogeneous society, for National Unity.

It will be important to recall at this point in time that the UNO has declared the year 1993 the year of the Minority Society, people who face extinction from the face of the earth (or who are unfairly discriminated against) because of the policies of the ‘Modern man”. Museveni calls his own people ‘these primitive chaps… we massacred these primitive chaps…’ Shouldn’t an Aborigine call himself an Australian gentleman when meeting his Head of State, the Queen of England? Shouldn’t the Red Indian impress upon us that he is indeed American? Is primitivity the criteria for non-citizenship?

NOD therefore, will encourage all people in all regions to exploit their resources, their past and their heritage without hindrance, provided such efforts do not come in the way of Nation building or national unity. NOD will expect that such peoples will, in the pursuit of their cultural richness, put the interest of the Nation first and where there ought to be a clash of interests, that the national aspirations would prevail. A mutually beneficial, harmonious, reciprocal, structural relationship between the National Centre – the central government, and these traditional centers can be democratically expounded in a constitution agreeable to all the people of Uganda.

The approach of NOD is not therefore to crash these aspirations because ‘they are in the way of development’ (Obote) or to ‘crash the people if they get in the way of power…’ (Museveni) you cannot crash the same people who are supposed to benefit from the same government and development! NOD will involve the people in accepting and participating in their own development.

37/ THE ECONOMY

When Museveni assumed power, he was frequently quoted saying …’no problem… that is easy … simple … etc’ Some journalists even gave Museveni professorship in Economics! To prove that he was extremely gifted in economics, Museveni took a direct role in the control of the economy. He quickly moved in and then abolished the ‘useless old currency’ and removed the last two zeros in the new denominations. From Okello’s rate of Uganda shillings 1,400/=:US$1.= - to the new rate of Ug Shs 7/=:US$1 Museveni then sat back to look at his new ‘powerful’ Shilling grow. Then he had his Finance Minister read the budget now and again to say that Uganda’s economy had grown at the fantastic rate of 5 % - 7 % of the GDP! even though existing roads were disappearing in the North and East, and the whole of that region’s manpower was displace and on the run.

Museveni’s exchange rate is now Ug Shs 1,300/=:US$1.=! That level of inflation has three zeros, that is around 1000 %, though the government admits 200% inflation.

The traditional exports of Coffee, Tea and Sugar have declined, especially Coffee. Cotton is no longer and export issue. Lango Cooperative Union, for example, bought only 20,000 bales of cotton last season. The 1992/93 budget saw major increases in the CTL Tax to 15 %, Import Duty 10 %, and Sales Tax 40 %. This has brought about recession in major areas of the economy. By 1989 Museveni’s Finance Minister had announced a budget deficit of US$ 600 million, the biggest under any government since Independence. The peasants are not paid cash for their Produce, and extension services which used to exist are dead. Produce purchasing finance is not provided and credit facilities are restrictive and hence the low output. While most of the North and parts of the East which produced the bulk of the cotton and tobacco are destabilized and people are still displaced, rendering these products out of the market, the existing infrastructure in these areas has completely disappeared. Museveni’s 5 % - 7 % GDP growth rate of course refers to his home area and other adjoining areas and no more.

Museveni’s foreign earnings continue dwindling from US$400 million receipts in 1986 when he assumed government to a meager earnings of US$200 million in 1992. This is the performance of the so-called Economist. Thanks to the Donor countries, which continue to bolster him.
Our Diplomats, especially those in foreign countries have been turned into beggars. Some have been evicted from their houses (Moscow); others have had their gas supply cut off during winter (Belgium); others cannot even maintain office machines (Washington). In India, we are told our Diplomats there have resorted to driving taxis in the evenings in order to feed their families. According to the ‘Monitor’ of January 8th. –15th 1993 several Ugandan Diplomats may soon resort to sweeping streets abroad to survive. NOD views Foreign Service as a very important component of Government, and will seek to look after our Diplomats better.

38/ Other priorities are lopsided. Dr. Besigye, Minister of State in the office of the President/National Commissar, admitted that the government was spending 75 % of its budget on the army so as to cling to power. Museveni, with one of Africa’s largest war machines is now under extreme Donor Country pressure to reduce this notorious army; but he has no policy on those to be retrenched.

Because of the dire shortage of cash, especially foreign cash, Museveni surprised the intelligent world, as a ‘professor’ of economics, by discovering an ‘easy’ solution to his dilemma.

Museveni was to be heard every day talking, even advising the governments in the region, on the advantages of BARTER TRADE as the only solution. He even articulated this theory to PTA Summit in Lusaka in 1988! Gen Museveni even appointed a Deputy Minister of Commerce solely in charge of Barter Trade only. Soon afterwards, Museveni began several barter trade agreements with Cuba on beans,, with Sankara of Burkina Faso on blankets, and with others like Mozambique, Romania, etc. Shortly afterwards, all these agreements died a natural death. How could Museveni, for example, continue sending Cuba untreated, rotten, weevil infested beans? Did Museveni infact stop to ask why trade developed from the primitive barter system to the money exchange? Where did he get his professorship of economics from? Even rudimentary barter trade these days is based on money value as a unit of account!

39/ Tourism, which once flourished is completely dead. We have no record of a single tourist since Museveni brought his peace and security to Uganda! The simple reason is that there is no adequate security in the country save for Museveni’s own region. (where he takes all the visitors) because the fundamental changes he promised are not fulfilled. Tourism used to be number two to Agriculture in importance, and signs were that it was soon becoming number one. Museveni has relegated this important sector to the tail because of his trials with Gaddaffi’s Revolution. Tourism will of course only return to Uganda with Democracy, Peace, Security and Human Rights. (in March this year, insurgents captured three officials in the Murchison Game Park area, an area largely in the hands of the insurgents.

40/ DEPARTED UGANDANS OF ASIAN ORIGIN

On the insistence of the British government, Museveni recalled with a lot of propaganda the departed Ugandans of Asian origin to return and repossess their property. (it must be admitted here that Museveni was not the first to recall the unfortunate departed Ugandans of Asian origin. UPC government first did it in 1980; and Museveni should not now claim any extra credit for it).

These Ugandans were not only the victims of Amin’s monstrous action of 1972, but they also continue to suffer the cultural animosity and segregation in other countries in the sub-region. What Amin did was only too welcome among other black countries in the region. Is it therefore a wonder that Museveni’s own Vice-President Samson Kisekka has refused to let go off a block of flats supposed to revert to the original owners? The owners of these flats now want to petition State House meaning Museveni himself. Is it a wonder that Museveni’s own Third Deputy Prime Minister and Attorney – General Abu Mayanja is caught up in wrangle over Wamala Farms Tea Estates in Mityana, whose original owners are Ugandans of Asian origin before Idi Amin handed him the farms.

Museveni’s attempt has failed miserably. These Ugandans have got the ‘paper possession’ of their properties. But the physical possession has become a problem because Museveni’s lieutenants continue to live in these same houses. However, the attempt has given Museveni the badly needed pat from WHITEHALL, which was the reason for the propaganda.

Museveni’s family through his wife Janet has a bitter war of ownership of plot 12 Wilson Road going on with the Ugandan Asian returnees. The Buganda Monarchy is also embroiled in an ownership wrangle over the Kyaggwe Tea Estates handed them by Idi Amin, and which the owners want to repossess.

The best example of the futility of this exercise was when one Ugandan Asian ordered a total demolition of a building on Plot 7 Kampala Road in order to force the eviction of the tenants, mainly Civil Servants who had refused to vacate the plot for a good five years.

However, we know in NOD that this is a complex matter which can only be resolved in a democratic manner by a democratically elected government for the benefit of all parties. There is no sense in removing a Ugandan family that was ‘allocated’ or ‘bought’ this property, and that has lived in this same property for twenty years or more!

The more rational way out is for the Ugandan government to assume the entire debt, and itself compensate the owners of these properties through the British government over a period and terms to be agreed upon with the British government. Then the government would in turn transfer the debt to its sitting nationals, of course with whatever clauses, to enable a smooth transfer. After all, Uganda government has not put up a single house since the early 1970s or was it the 1960s? Those Ugandans of Asian origin, who wish to return home, should now do it on a new investment level or simple resettlement.

We in NOD believe that this problem of racial integration can only be tackled by a conscious cultural – re-orientation and integration of both indigenous Ugandans and Ugandans of Asian origin. The Ugandans of Asian origin must be brought into full citizenship status and allowed into the mainstream activities of Nationhood.

They must be involved in matters of government, defence of the nation, etc., other than commerce and trading only. Above all they must be part of the cultural heritage and genesis of our land.

41/ The second consideration to this problem is the various other Ugandans who have been perpetual exiles and have also lost their property under the various dictoators like Museveni. If Museveni has started talking about returning, for example, to the Buganda Royal family their assets, that is not only correct, but inevitable. He should think of handing back to all the aggrieved parties their properties and bank accounts. Matters arising from this exercise can be referred to the courts of law, but should never be handled as political issues.

42/ DIVESTITURE OF PUBLIC FIRMS / FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Museveni, in a desperate attempt to resuscitate the economy has began the exercise of selling off the parastatals. This exercise of PRIVATISATION of non profit making firms and others (due to inefficiency, mal administration, poor marketing, sheer corruption, etc) is a major economic step which warrants our serious examination.

Museveni is selling the parastatals for wrong economic understanding and reasons. He says “I support fervently the programme of privatization. I am tired of corrupt and unpatriotic and backward bureaucrats who do not know the value of social property”.

Corruption itself should not be the reason for selling, because we don’t expect Museveni now to sell the government which he himself is on record as having admitted that it is extremely corrupt. A new post created specially to check on corruption (the Government Inspector) has failed to curtail this cancer eating away the civil service fibre.

The question of privatization is of extreme importance. NOD agrees, and affirms its position on the role the private sector and foreign investment should play in the area of the economy. Yes, government should be in the business of government only and not in the business of business.

However, Museveni has no legitimacy for doing what would be the right thing. These assets belong to the people of Uganda. The people of Uganda have not given him their mandate to rule them, leave alone to sell off their property. Museveni is even trying to sell the UNO ‘Uganda House’ in New York. At least it is on mortgage now.

The matter for divestiture is for a duly elected democratic government to carry out with the full mandate of the people of Uganda. Gun-trotters will not be around to rationalize this action to our future generations neither would they have their mandate to talk, even if they were to be around.
Therefore, it is conceivable that Museveni’s action to privatize, though holy, is not honest. Is it not true that should Museveni manage to sell off these assets to (MNC) Multinational Corporations, that he would in turn ask them, and expect them to protect him in power while they at least reap back capital out lays? Is it not an attempt again to extend his life in the presidency by colluding with MNC’s the only entities that are capable of buying these giants? We ask, how sincere is he? How does an avowed communist suddenly become an avowed capitalist unless there is a hidden agenda! The agenda of trying to prolong his stay in power by hooking himself unto indebted MNCs.

43/ We wish to appeal to these MNC’s not to rush, but wait until a democratic accountable system is in place in Uganda. NOD believes Museveni and his cohorts will sell off these assets and salt their proceeds out of Uganda where they will themselves run to at the advent of Democracy. The people of Uganda would then lose not only their assets, but also the proceeds as well; which could complicate future matters just a bit.

44/ FOREIGN RELATIONS

Lt.Gen. Museveni has TOTALLY FAILED in the area of Foreign affairs;, especially with the neighbours. Uganda has had about four military incursions into Kenya since 1987, and the two have nearly gone to war. Just before Kenya went into her multiparty polls in December 1992, President Moi found it wise and expedient to close the border with Uganda because of Museveni’s persistent interference in Kenya’s own internal affairs. Some of Museveni’s actions against Kenya are documented elsewhere but have been serious enough to make President Moi close his border at least three times since Museveni became his new neighbour.

Now that Kenya has settled for multiparty democracy, and since they have a neighbour like Museveni who has publicly refused multi partism; we envisage Museveni doing everything possible to try and bring down that young democracy to justify his own position of ‘No Party Democracy’ Then he can go back to the same West to say, “I told you, this Democracy can not work in Africa…”

45/ This analysis should apply to all the young democracies in Africa, especially those in the sub-region. ZAMBIA however, deserves special mention, because Zambia is the rose-bed of democracy, the leading light and shining example. Zambia should therefore guard against dictators like Museveni whose interest is to see young democracies limping. There is evidence that Museveni is keenly interested in following the developments of Zambia’s democracy, and all the other dictators who are resisting democratic change in the Continent will see Zambia’s democracy as their number one enemy.

46/ Museveni has also had a bone to chew with other neighbours in the region. All this is documented in other publications of NOD.

47/ The deposed President of Burundi, Bagaza, lives a presidential life in Kampala, and has not given up trying to return to his country in the same way he left. He was reportedly near the Uganda-Rwanda border, at the time of Rwanda’s invasion. His Chief of Staff was actively involved with RPF Commanders.

48/ Gaddaffi’s revolution has also been felt in West Africa, with Museveni’s connections

49/ However, it is Libya that Museveni gets his spiritual powers from. Gaddaffi helped propel Museveni into power by a constant supply of weaponry, vital cash handouts and gave him the police state model of government the Resistance Councils modeled exactly after Gaddafff’s own revolutionary committees! Museveni since 1986 must have visited Libya seventy-seven times, mostly at midnight. And of course Gaddaffi has been to Kampala as many times.

For all these favours, Museveni had to pay only one simple price, Unlike Amin whom Gaddaffi orderd to import Islam; Museveni was ordered to import and in turn re-export the revolution; which Museveni has and is still trying to do. However, ISLAMIC fundamentalism has already become a problem in Sudan, Algeria, Tanzania and one can include Zambia too. In Uganda, two Islamic battles have been fought between the various factions of Islam.

50/ But Museveni’s muddle in foreign affairs is the example of the Mafia-like gun-trotting as an Arms Merchant, buying arms from the South African Government (meanwhile he still houses the ANC fighters in Kampala) to sell in former Yugoslavia in Sagreb. He was, on top to this, using a Uganda Government registered plane, which is still marooned in Sagreb up to today! Captain Makyeli was abandoned in Sagreb for nearly a year and taken to Uganda to be prosecuted as escape goat. As a result, Uganda Airlines has virtually ground to a halt. James Bahinguza, who was the mastermind behind the gun-trotting was Regional Manager of Uganda Airlines in London, besides running a ‘tour’ company with a Mr.Shah which company was responsible for various other purchases including the purchase of coffee bags from Pakistan, etc. When Bahinguza grounded the Airline, he was promoted to Minister Counsellor and posted to Lusaka to neutralize ‘rebel’ activity; and assist Mr. Bateyo from the Office of the President in that effort in Uganda High Commission, Lusaka.

51/ Museveni’s own Personal Assistant Ambassador Katenta-Apuuli, the President’s own Confindential Private Secretary Captain Bisangwa and other Libyan officials namely: Colonel Abdllah al Awheeda, Major Abdal Salam Jallud, a member of the Revolutionary Command Council; were arrested by the American FBI in Orlando – Florida in 1992 gun-trotting purchasing rockets, 400 TOW missiles, and conspiring to acquire US$15 million worth of Chinnook CH-47 helicopter parts for Libya and Museveni. The Private Secretary appealed for immunity against a diplomatic passport which the American Authorities rightly refused to accept, since he was not doing any diplomatic work except in fact criminal activities. Then the Private Secretary applied for immunity, this time as the Private Secretary of a Head of State. Again, information reaching us is that this too was rightly refused. According to the Associated Press (AP), the New York Journal of Commerce of 6th January, 1993, the Lancaster New Era newspaper, USA State Attorney Judy Hunt had this to say in her letter…”depending upon the facts adduced at the trial, the government may take the position the following were co-conspirators, Muammar Abu Minyal-al-Quadhafi and Lt.Gen.Yoweri Museveni. The other accused is Duane Lewis and Frank Rubino, who also represents outsed leader Manuel Noriega”. In Uganda the list includes the Minister of State for Defence Gen. David Yinyefuza (since sacked - to placate world opinion); and Secretary for Defence Dr. Ben Mboye.

Captain Bisangwa has been traded as a material witness for US Government against the other accused. To be granted bail of limited radius, Captain Bisangwa was fitted with an electronic gadget to his wrist to monitor constantly his exact location. Museveni then quietly and alone mortgaged the UNO fourteen-storey Uganda House which is worth a cool ten, fifteen million dollars for a paltry US$2 million only. This is the first time the Uganda Government and most significantly Museveni himself has stood for an individual in our history.

NOD recognizes that this is yet another great infringement of the peoples rights and Museveni’s action is culpable. Enquiries and legal consultations are underway to seek legal redress with Museveni being first defendant, if possible. However, no amount of embarrassment will ever make Museveni blink!

52/ RWANDA

The biggest blunder so far in the area of Foreign Affairs, is of course on the small neighbour Rwanda; where Museveni himself hails from. He has strong ancestral links with Rwanda. His mother fled into Uganda from there in the late forties to escape civil war.

Days after Saddam had walked into Kuwait, Museveni picked the courage while the international attention was still focused in the Gulf, and while still Chairman of OAU, to walk into tiny Rwanda. The ten thousand (RPF) – Rwanda Patriotic Front troops were none other than Uganda’s own NRA code-named ‘RESERVE ARMY’ Commanded by non other than Major Gen.Fred Rwegima (29 years old) who was Uganda’s Minister of state for Defence; a member of the National Council and High Command, etc, etc. His Deputy was Major Kageme, NRA Commander in Eastern Uganda at the time.

THE RESERVE ARMY WAS OF COURSE THE RWANDESE TUTSI REFUGEES MUSEVENI HAD RECRUITED ON THE FINAL PUSH TO OUST AMIN FROM THE TANZANIAN AXIS. THEY WERE A MERCENARY ARMY WHICH HAD EARLIER INFLICTED GENOCIDE IN EASTERN, NORTHEN AND KASESE REGIONS OF UGANDA. MUSEVENI PERSONALLY WARNED PRESIDENT HAYARIMANA “…THOSE BOYS ARE GOOD… THEY ARE WELL TESTED…”

Now Museveni is again using toxic gas (chemical war fare) this time not on the Ugandan population but on the Rwandese civilians. According to a senior French Military Expert also quoted in ‘Times of Zambia’ February 23, 1993, Museveni personally ordered the massacre of 1,600 Rwandese civilians using Toxic gas. NOD has not the slightest doubt this is and must be an accurate observation by the French Army. NOD cannot doubt a Senior French Army spokesman. It is reported Museveni first used his chemicals in 1987 at Lake Opeta Islands in Teso. That is your democrat, the Puritan. This is the Museveni who was packaged as a ‘new hope in tow decades’. And yet this is the very man who has brought the biggest embarrassment to the West and especially in the Western media. The only thing this murderer has not done is to declare himself ‘Life President’. But does he have to say it anyway?

If it is true that Gaddaffi is trying to manufacture a chemical weapon, what other way is there to try it in the field except through his bossom friend Museveni? Or is it Saddam who gave it to him for testing, who?

53/ Despite the very good intentions of the Tanzania Government currently Chairing the negotiations between RPF and the Rwandese government, NOD believes that any lasting solution on the issue of Rwandese Tutsi in Uganda will not be arrived at unless the people of Uganda, through their democratically elected government, working together with the UNHCR and the government of Rwanda sit down together and seek solutions to their common problems. The very commendable and noble intentions and efforts of the Tanzania Government will no doubt provide the necessary foundation for these efforts. NOD will ensure that a lasting solution to this problem will be found.

54/ OPPOSITION GROUPS TO MUSEVENI

Museveni no doubt takes the pride as the record holder for having attracted the largest number of opposition groups trying to oust him. Never in our history have we had as many as twenty or more groups fighting one regime, that one regime which says it is the most democratic! Between Amin and Museveni one should hold the record for the largest number of assassination attempts. Seven years into government, Museveni never leaves behind his bullet-proof vest, even when he goes abroad. He has the biggest escort (around 300 guards) – only second to his mentor Gaddaffi. And recently, his other friend Saddam presented him with a bullet-proof Mercedes car so he can sit in it in his bullet proof vest!

Inspite of the generous number of these fighting groups and their political wings, all but one or two still limp on with no serious treat to Museveni’s obnoxious regime. The bigger ones, like UPDM/A and UPF/A seem to enexplicably simply just lost steam and foothold.

55/ The reasons are many faceted. First these groups were facing not a rational government trying to control insurgency but a diabolical clique of querilla murderers turned government, who were not afraid to ‘wipe out, massacre, or crash’ any sign of insurgency, not withstanding the fact that they are the government of the day. Is it any wonder therefore, that they adopted such evil TORTURE METHODS completely new to the vocabulary in Uganda. Is it a wonder that these guerillas turned government burnt people in their own grass-huts, or in train wagons? Is it a wonder that they used aircraft to bomb the people, rustle all their livestock, kill children in schools, or churches, or put people in concentration camps? Is it a wonder these people adopted scotched earth policies to ‘ANIHILATE’ the insurgents? Their own President says…”we massacred those primitive chaps… and they kept coming at us with nothing … and we kept massacring them.. you can go and see for yourself…” Museveni therefore, anxious to prove his lies about his popularity would stop at nothing, even using toxic chemical gas was justifiable in 1987, on his own people.

How much better is Museveni than Saddam, for example, on the score of chemical weapons?

Secondly, Museveni has never tested his popularity among the people of Uganda by way of all the enfranchised people voting freely – one man one vote. So he cannot say he is popular. His continued stay in power therefore was and is still dependent on OUTSIDE FORCES, just like they helped propel him to power in the first place. These forces are among others: The International Western Press; Gaddaffi, some Western democracies (who were pre-occupied with the ousting of Obote); International Financial Institutions in collusion with some MNC’s (especially LONRHO) whose financial help was vital to keep the war machinery going. Museveni is not in power because of the majority wish of the Ugandan people.

Thirdly, Museveni has a unique disarming charming personality (exactly like the “Gentle Giant Amin) that would deceive the most trained eye. That is the special gift for all conmen. The two have, like all the others like them, the unique ability to make you relax. laugh and eventually trust in them. And yet Museveni has reneged on all agreements and accords.

Lastly, Museveni, just like Amin, is not a coward and is ready to take all sorts of risks. Therefore his is to attack, not defend.

56/ But by far, the most important reason for the failures of these groups to wrest power from Museveni can be found in their own internal setups: a quick look at the leaderships of these groups tells you that these are not new faces at all. Obote – NOM, UPDM – Okello, Spirit – Lackwena, UPF – Otai, etc. How can we get New Direction from here? Hasn’t Museveni himself failed to deliver the new era simply because he too is stuck with the Old Order, despite the fact that he has young people in his government? Museveni was in all the governments from the time of Lule (after Amin) through except Obote II. He was Vice-President to Mwaanga and to Tito Okello although he didn’t sit in his office. What new era could Museveni bring to Uganda? Museveni has therefore been a continuation of the Old Order. And the others? What for example, was Alice Lakwena going to do in Kampala? What about Okello, back in Kampala! Or indeed, Idi Amin, or their Ministers back in Kampala! And Obote, again, in Kampala with new ideas?

57/ PEACE CONFERENCES / ROUNDTABLES

Other concerned Ugandans have, in good faith, advocated for a genuine Peace Conference for Uganda, as away to heal the Nation and bring it together.

The idea of a peace conference is a noble one, and any civilized society will sit down to iron out its problems around a table. It is the landmark of democracy and civilization.

However, in the case of Uganda, it is maybe too much to expect right now. Uganda’s shameful history of bloodletting for three decades save a few years in between, the suspicion, mistrust, turmoil, tribalism and the spirit of Dog Eat Puppy is still prevailing. An effort, noble as it maybe of a peace Conference can easily turn into a classical farce of the time. Our wounds in Uganda are still bleeding; they are too deep and the rifts and quarrels amongst our Senior citizens cannot be resolved around a table!

Not only would we have problems of delegation accreditation and legitimacy, but Museveni could turn the whole farce into his advantage and keep Uganda around this table for half a decade. We know some others in Africa have been seated around their tables for a good three years now with the result that they now have two, three Prime Ministers, two Cabinets, etc.

For Uganda, it would be the most important diplomatic achievement to accomplish. To imagine diabolical Museveni seated with master of the game Obote, Old guard Ssemogerere, Supper Star Amin, QC Binaisa and World War II Hero Okello and all the disillusioned political failures and opportunists and then to charge them to give Uganda a blueprint for democracy is the most difficult task any diplomat/politician in Uganda would want to try and achieve around a table with no proper credentials or terms of reference. You would, in NOD’s view, find the whole table quiet – all dead, after three, four, five years, except for Museveni – handing you his old blueprint of ‘No Party Democracy, and Libya’s Resistance Committee’, and saying ‘I wiped them out..’

58/ UMBRELLAS / FORUMS

Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) was tried on the people of Uganda soon after the downfall of Idi Amin. It did not last the test of time. At Moshi, self-appointed leaders of Pressure Groups (some of them formed outside the Conference Hall) and some self-acclaimed Commanders of Resistance Groups converged in Moshi to apportion power to themselves without inviting the people of Uganda to that meeting. They then went home to install their government over the 15 million people at home at that time. An attempt to co-opt a few Ugandans into the Pseudo Parliament, the National Council did not give this illegitimate Administration the legality it badly needed. Besides there was no meaningful debate and no direction whatsoever, as political parties soon began tearing the Umbrella in all directions. It was a hotchpotch.

Ten years later, Uganda opposition groups especially those based in Europe, have again tried to use this same formula. In London, for example Otai heads the ‘Forum’ which groups in a loose alliance some of the groups based in UK and the Continent.

As much as it would look like the much needed UNITY has now arrived, the truth of the matter is that this so called Unity is nothing but a desperate attempt by the various failed groups, (on the ground), to come together to present to the International Community ‘a United Front’. In other words, it is another Umbrella Approach of CONVENIENCE. And what do we have in the BIG BASKET?

The most important disadvantage however, is that these same groups continue to be led by the same old forces, … well known in Kampala. Unless they adopt a New Look approach, their attempts of unity of purpose will not and has indeed not yielded any positive results. Museveni has even forgotten about the Forums. That isn’t surprising at all. The Cardinal issue therefore is not to feign Unity with the old face look, but rather to genuinely arrive at National Unity through New Order.

59/ It is NOD’s well considered opinion that New Order is the only saviour of Uganda and it can only be delivered by New Look approach. Anything outside this arrangement will drag us back to the old quarrels and deep seated, deep rooted divisions and vested interests of the past.

NOD therefore has the duty to thank all the Senior Citizens of the Nation for whatever they have variously contributed to the development of the Nation, and at the same time to request them to allow the children to ‘PICK UP THE PIECES FOR POSTERITY’. That surely, is not asking for too much from a society that has wronged you again and again.

60/ There are those who say that NOD is undemocratic when NOD suggests that our Fathers should step aside and let the younger generations try and begin the healing processes. But surely, if the Fathers have been, and failed, and have been again, and failed again; is it not actually democratic to say that let those who have not been also be? especially if this approach will save us from old quarrels, disintegration, bloodletting, etc. Is it not in the National interest that we must take this noble step out of necessity for our future generations.

61/ NOD BELIEVES IN FORGIVING ALL AUTHORS OF THESE HEINOUS CRIMES EVERYTHING, AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE HEALING PROCESS AND AS A FIRST STONE IN FORGING NATIONAL UNITY, PEACE AND DEMOCRACY.

62/ RESOLUTION TO RESTORE LASTING PEACE, NATIONAL UNITY AND DEMOCRACY TO UGANDA.

Preamble: The Uganda People who are a peace loving proud and hard working Nation whose National aspirations and goals are of extreme paramountcy , have been thrown into the abyss of continuous bloodletting from where they will come out into Shining Glory Again.

WHEREAS the Ugandan People who are a peace loving Nation rightly expected at the great time of Independence in 1962 profound positive changes in the major facets of their lives, namely Social Justice, Economic Emancipation, Political Freedoms, Religious Freedoms, Protection of the Individual and his Property, Peace, Love, Unity and Nationhood and;

INTRUST our gallant Fathers and leaders of independence and thereafter would usher in, maintain defend and execute to the best of their abilities, full democratic processes leading to the full realization of these noble goals for which they gave themselves selflessly to the struggle.

NOTING FURTHER by our concrete observations analysis and evaluation of the historical trends of the various Administrations in our Fatherland, which Administrations have heralded debauchery, graft, greed, political opportunism, horrendous mass genocide, repression, human rights abuses, total lack of respect for the individual common man, lack of democracy, rule of law, and a terrible decline in the general welfare and livelihood of the people;

AWARE that the present regime of Yoweri Museveni which is the most culpable of these regimes, continues to unleash untold suffering, misery, death and systematically violates the people’s Human Rights and Basic Freedoms;

COGNIZANT of the fact that Yoweri Museveni and his Military Government desperately wishes to hang on to power illegally by all possible maneuvers, thereby subjecting our People to a further cabal, masochistic period of suffering and death;

CONVINCED that Yoweri Museveni and his Military Administration stay in power will not usher in the much needed Democracy, Peace, Love, Human Rights and National unity because of his ardent belief in Revolutionary Violence and ‘No Party Democracy’ which era is bound to see scores of more Refugees fleeing our Motherland, and Economic Exile dotting the face of this globe;

FURTHER CONVINCED that now is the time to take advantage of the Global New Order System to usher in an era of Democracy, Accountability, Stability, Peace and National Unity;

SINCERELY BELIEVING that this is the utmost desire in the hearts of all the Peoples of Uganda;

DESIROUS to create a New Order in our Fatherland as the only viable road to cut across all tribal, ethnic, religious, party rivalry and all other evils and RESTORE Constitutionalism, the Rule of Law and the respect for Human Rights under Sustainable Democratic System of Government under conditions of Durable Peace, Stability and;

FURTHER DESIROUS to restore UGANDA to her rightful Glory among the Civilised Nations of the International Family, especially with HER NEIGHBOURS;

RECOGNISING that we are duty bound and it is incumbent on us the young generations and others alike of the present masses and concerned citizens of our Fatherland; to present unto ourselves, after long, exhaustive and Soul searching consultations all over the country, lasting at least a decade, these proposals on how to return our Fatherland to NORMALCY and for POSTERITY; therefore;

WE, UGANDANS OF LIKE MINDS NOW RESOLVE OURSELVES INTO A PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT TO BE KNOWN AS ‘NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY’ ABBREVIATED (NOD) TO PEACEFULLY FIGHT FOR THE RESTORATION OF GENUINE DEMOCRACY, HUMAN DIGNITY, LOVE, DURABLE PEACE, STABILITY, NATIONAL UNITY, ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND JUSTICE, THROUGH THE CONSCIOUS PURSUANCE OF CONSTITUTIONALISM, RULE OF LAW AND MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY.

63/ AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

After the long and exhaustive soul searching all over the country, Ugandans of like minds decided to INAUGURATE an Organization known as NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY (NOD) to peacefully fight for the restoration of genuine democracy, rule of law, Human Rights, Love, National Unity and Economic progress, on the basis of the following

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

(i) To actively fight peacefully for the dislodging of the NRM/A Administration so as to prepare the country for the return to and restoration of genuine Multiparty Democracy, without recourse to the Military solution which solutions have been complete failures in the long and sad history of our Country;

(ii) To encourage and promote National Debate on National Unity, Peace, Democracy and Human Rights issues so as to build a sound foundation for durable peace and Nationhood; while promoting and respecting the diverse Cultural Heritage of our Fatherland.

(iii) To actively participate and advance the creation and maintenance of Democratic Parliamentary Institutions, protected under a Constitution which is the consensus of all our people, where the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary complement each other but act as checks and balances on each other, for the smooth execution of democracy;

(iv) In order to return to Constitutionalism and restore permanent peace, stability and rule of law, to create a small professional army of ten thousand or less, and which army will be subordinate to civil authority, and especially the tax-payer and the common man. And in the same direction, to put in place a police Force-equipped to deal with all aspects of the maintenance of Law and Order.
(v) To restore the dignity of the person and his property, guaranteeing his freedom of association, religious expression and the protection of his CONSCIENCE, and to create an enabling environment for the individual to maximize his potential in Nation Building.
(vi) To actively fight ignorance, disease and poverty, and increase awareness and work towards accelerated economic development and prosperity by encouraging and providing an enabling environment for local and foreign investment participation in the Economic Recovery Programmes (ERP);
(vii) To cooperate with all the Neighbouring States, and all other Friendly Nations in the promotion of Global Peace and Unity and the Advancement of Mankind based on Mutual Respect;
(viii) To protect the Environment for the future Generations
(ix) To Actively participate in all Regional and International Organizations like the PTA, OAU, NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT, UNO, etc in order to promote the welfare of our Peoples the World over;
(x) To work tirelessly in fighting those forces which are the authors of our past shameful history by ensuring that they never be allowed another chance to wreck havoc on our Fatherland.
(xi) To pursue vigorously all actions that are necessary or incidental, to the achievement and fulfillment of the spirit and objectives of NOD.

64/ REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE

NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY (NOD) was born out of the CONSCIENCE of the peace loving Ugandans especially the younger generations who are yearning for love, but who have witnessed the repeated appalling bloodletting in Uganda caused by Evil Regimes perpetrated on the poor innocent children of Uganda; and so these young people have resolved, one and all, to correct this sordid situation permanently.

NOD is not looking of short term solutions to our myriad problems; NOD is not bent on REVENGE. NOD has no reason to KILL Ugandans or to STEAL from Uganda. NOD has no reason to LIE to the people of Uganda; and NOD is not CORRUPT and has NO POWER HUNGRY ambitions.

NOD has the task of picking up the pieces of our bleeding house to Salvage the Country for future Generations and for Posterity. NOD’s conscience is clear and NOD has noting to HIDE or FEAR.

Evil forces still have a strong grip over Uganda and the task of salvation is therefore mammoth. However, the young Fresh Blood in Uganda and in NOD CAN AND WILL DO THE JOB, provided NOD is assisted.

NOD is therefore seeking DIPLOMATIC Support of any kind from peace loving Nations, peace loving individuals, Associations and International Organizations
NOD is seeking MORAL support from all friendly Governments, and International Organisations; the CHURCH and all peace loving peoples.

Please help us restore hope to the FORGOTTEN “PEARL OF AFRICA” again.

OKIROR OUMO.
Interim CHAIRMAN
NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY (NOD)
KAMPALA – UGANDA

March 1993 (first Edition)