The time for forceful action against Museveni is now
By Nathan Iron Emory
30th May 2011: The militaristic situation for control of political power in the country, especially by heavily armed UPDF, Police, CMI operatives, ISO agents, and various militia groups aligned to the ruling NRM regime is very dangerous for our country. Weapons that were supplied by Western countries purportedly to help Uganda fight terrorism are now being pointed at innocent Ugandan citizens.
The security organizations I have listed above have served Museveni and his NRM regime “very well” by implementing the regime’s policies of terror, subjecting Ugandans to immense oppression, committing heinous crimes against humanity, harassment, beating, arresting, detaining, raping, looting, murder, torture, displacement of civilians from their homes, and even confiscating peoples properties with impunity.
These actions have been well documented by various independent agencies. In all however, they amount to a systematic destruction of Uganda’s economic base, creativity, social cohesion and cultural heritage among many other things. What we cannot sadly do with certainty is quantify the impact of these atrocities on the present and especially future generations.
What we can say with certainty is that by its actions, the NRM regime has violated all major international human rights treaties that the Republic of Uganda signed up to and ratified. As things stand now, it saddens me to say that I think there is no viable alternative to using force to solve Uganda’s problems unless Museveni quickly addresses these fundamental human rights issues within the context of the international human rights treaties that Uganda signed up to.
What Ugandans must also realize is that the restoration and protection of our fundamental human rights cannot and should not be left to Yoweri Museveni’s goodwill. Uganda is our country and we must force him to recognize, restore, and protect our fundamental human rights. This must be the guiding principle and indeed foundation of any viable political solution that our leaders may be contemplating.
The regime in Kampala must be brought to account and must conform to international human rights standards and laws as required by the 1948 Universal Charter of Human rights. The NRM regime must bring to an end the continuing violations of the rights of the people of Uganda and restore all the rights of those affected.
The emergence of the NRM regime in 1986 constituted a major turning point in the long heterogeneous political life of Ugandans. Museveni introduced a minority homogenous oligarchy, a fact attested to by the demographic distribution of power, jobs, wealth, and privileges in the last twenty five years of Museveni’s rule of terror.
Authors like Dr. Olive Kobusingye who wrote “The Correct Line”, Charles Ochen Okwir who wrote “Portrait of a Despot”, and several eye witnesses have brought forth substantive information and evidence of a well orchestrated NRM plan to disenfranchise and violate our fundamental human rights and means of consolidating the regime’s political dominance.
Museveni’s bullish and blatant violation of international human rights treaties also raises very serious questions about the commitment of the influential Western donor countries to the protection and promotion of human rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Considering the West’s loud silence and inaction over Museveni’s recent violence against Dr. Kizza Besigye, there is no doubt now that human rights have been sacrificed at the altar of economic, political and security concerns of the West. As a people, we must therefore realize this and quickly rise up to fight for our rights. No one will do it for us.
Unlike Museveni, the majority of Ugandans are moving quickly and consciously to build human a human rights consciousness and interest in keeping records of human rights violations by the regime. This process has strengthened the moral argument of human rights advocates who have thus resolved to hold Museveni and his brutal security organizations to account for the gross human rights abuses they have been accused of.
The worldwide prominence given to human rights today is one of the most remarkable developments of the Post-World War II era. As a country, we must have a piece of that wonderful cake. To do that, we must make the restoration, promotion and protection of fundamental human rights the foundation of any democratic settlement that will emerge from our struggle against Museveni’s tyranny.
It is a well known fact that Museveni’s NRA committed serious war crimes during the 1981-86 war that brought Museveni to power. Some of those atrocities were documented but no action has ever been taken against the perpetrators of those crimes because of the obvious lack of political will to do so by Museveni himself.
This time however, modern technology has deprived the tyrant the opportunity to conceal the evidence that will be used to hang him. But before we get to that, I repeat, we must rise up now and use all means to challenge Museveni’s lawlessness. It is our patriotic duty to do so. The time for talking has elapsed. Now we need action! END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
