Alex Nsubuga & Hussein Bogere
17 May 2005
Kampala — The government has asked foreign diplomats accredited to Uganda to stop making public statements about the country's transition process.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Sam Kutesa, communicated the government position to the ambassadors at a meeting in his office last week.
All ambassadors accredited to Uganda were invited for the meeting. Kutesa reportedly cautioned foreign dignitaries against making public statements on the country's political transition, which some donors have cited as the reason for withholding aid.
The Minister of State for Information Dr James Nsaba Buturo told The Monitor yesterday that the meeting was called to remind the foreign dignitaries of the standards of communication. Asked why the government had decided to meet the dignitaries, Buturo said: "It is because it is international practice. If you are a diplomat and have strong views on the political system, you don't run to the media. Rather you channel them through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is international practice, it's just a reminder. It is only here in Uganda where dignitaries address issues through the media."
On why government has chosen this particular time, he said: "We have been having frequent statements from diplomats. We are concerned because it is not how diplomats conduct themselves."
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Onen, confirmed the meeting took place, but would not give details of what transpired.
"The minister held a meeting with five development partners," he said when contacted yesterday, "they discussed a number of issues." Onen said he did not have the details.
The government has been unhappy with ambassadors and high commissioners over continuous threats by their countries to withhold funding to Uganda. Sources told The Monitor that foreign dignitaries have recently been lending a more attentive ear to opposition parties especially the savy Forum for Democratic Change whose sophisticated lobby has made donors view the Museveni admistration more critically. Some donors have spoken out strongly against the proposed amendment to remove presidential term limits to allow a third term for President Museveni.
Buturo said that some ambassadors have downplayed the high level of democracy practised in the current transition period.
The Irish government has threatened to withhold 2 million Euros (Shs 4.4 billion) aid for Uganda over the way the leadership here is implementing political reforms.
Earlier, the British government through the High Commission here announced it withheld Shs17 billion in budget support in March because it was unhappy with the progress made towards establishing a level playing ground for political parties in the country.
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