Kakaire A. Kirunda
14 March 2008
Kampala — PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has warned African Union nations against supporting dissident groups fighting their neighbours.
"There is one mistake we must avoid. We don't want to hear that any one country in this region is sending arms or subversives into another country. That must stop," the president said yesterday [March 13].
Mr Museveni was opening the 3rd extra ordinary meeting of the council of defense ministers of the 13 states that make up the Eastern Africa Standby Brigade (Easbrig) at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala. Easbrig is one of the five security arrangements under the auspices of the African Union Roadmap on Common Defense and Security programme.
However, Mr Museveni's warning comes against a background of Uganda being accused severally of supporting subversive activities in the Great Lakes Region over the years. Among the countries that have accused Uganda of supporting rebellion is the Sudan, DR Congo and Rwanda, the same countries Kampala has accused of backing dissidents.
But the President emphasized that Uganda attaches a lot of importance to her regional security and defense.
Citing the conflicts between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Darfur crisis, the Somali conflict, upholding the peace accords in Sudan and Burundi, Museveni said Eastern Africa is the most challenged part of Africa given that most of the conflicts are in the region.
Such a scenario, according to Mr. Museveni, is what emphasizes the importance of shared defense and security.
"I am glad that Africans are beginning to take responsibility for their own defense, security and destiny. The African Union principle of non indifference as opposed to the OAU of non interference will help to prevent experiences like the genocide in Rwanda. We therefore need to support continental-based peace and defense arrangements such as Easbrig. This will help take care of threats t our strategic interests."
However, the president argued that whereas arrangements such as Easbrig are important, he equated them to pain killers saying the real solution to conflict lies in the transformation of African societies," said Mr Museveni, "In order to really stabilize Africa we must know that our societies must change from pre industrial societies to industrial ones. You cannot have a population where the majority of the people are in agriculture and you think that you will have durable peace."
According to Mr Museveni, an industrialised society would then be able to absorb the many young educated people who are often frustrated if unemployed and often resort to conflict.
"We have almost 10 million schools from primary to university level. Where will these people get jobs once they finish schhol. And if they have no jobs but are educated, will there be peace in Uganda?"
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