Does US Really Seek Uganda Peace?

By Carolyn Edson

One really must question the motives behind the Bush Administration’s invitation to the President of Uganda, President Museveni, to the White House on October 30, 2007.

The US Government would have the world believe that as the world’s super power it is interested in world stability, democracy, good governance and rule of law.

We applaud it when it takes a stand against the dictatorships in Sudan and Myanmar. But in President Museveni we have a corrupt military dictator who has funneled billions of dollars into his pockets and those of his family and his elites, both military and political, even as hundreds of thousands of his countrymen in the north died and are still dying from the hideous conditions in IDP camps that were left unprotected and wide open to attack by the insurgent group known as the LRA. By every definition of the Rome Statute President Museveni is guilty of genocide of the Acholi people in the north and is responsible for the coming to being of the LRA to start with.

While we might commend the rhetoric put forward by the White House that they are interested in stability in the Great Lakes Regions of Africa, why do they support the likes of Museveni who has been largely responsible for over four million deaths and plundering the natural resources in DRC, and even found guilty by the International Court of Justice.

Democracy is an illusion in Uganda. He has bribed MPs to vote himself life presidency. Opposition parties have had rallies and demonstrations brutally curtailed and often prevented. People who oppose Museveni find themselves in jail and tortured. This is good governance? This is shades of Mugabe. The US has been funding at great expense to the taxpayer a mass murderer. One would highly doubt that someone who has such little respect for human life can be “taught” good governance.

It would appear that the US and other western countries have utterly failed to “teach” President Museveni the meaning of the rule of law. Even the country’s High Court was invaded by the infamous “Black Mambas” para-military unit! Money meant to treat those suffering from AIDs and Malaria was stolen and misappropriated by Museveni’s closest associates and not one has been punished. Graft and corruption are the pillars of his regime. However the Administration of the White House sees fit to lend Museveni credibility by inviting him for a visit. What do they expect to achieve?

President Museveni and his elites are guilty of abusing every human right there is and committing crimes against humanity of the ugliest proportions with total impunity—and an invitation to the White House.

Now the Juba Peace Talks will be discussed at this meeting. I am sure that the US Administration is aware that President Museveni has scuttled peace talks that have taken place on at least five occasions right back to 1985 and the current rhetoric suggests his lack of enthusiasm for these talks to succeed. He and his cronies have made vast amounts of money from this war, and we know that he has plans for the land that he intends to “buy” from the decimated Acholis, which he will provide to “investors”. It has not been a good omen for peace that US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi E. Frazer now advocates 90 days for the LRA to sign the peace accord and uses terms like “mopping up” the LRA, a favorite phrase of President Museveni. This is nothing short of inciting a continuation of the war.

One really must be concerned about the motives behind the invitation of President Museveni to the White House. So many lives have already been most horrifically lost. What is the real goal of the American Government?

Originally appeared at BlackStarNews.com (http://blackstarnews.com/?c=122&a=3847)