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Uganda: No Amount of Money Can Ever Buy Respect
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The Monitor (Kampala)
EDITORIAL
22 March 2008
Posted to the web 21 March 2008
Libyan jets, rocket propelled grenades and soldiers were used to try and sustain the unpopular and ultimately fascist regime of Gen. Idi Amin in the liberation war against the dictator in 1979.
At that time, Yoweri Museveni, a sworn opponent of Amin was fighting against his Libyan-backed forces together with other Ugandan exiles and Tanzanian troops.
Today he is entertaining Col. Muammar Gadaffi to a red carpet welcome and a blank cheque to say whatsoever he wants even if much of Libyan leader's pronouncements are an insult to the Ugandan people.
After the dark era of dictator Amin, who declared a predominantly Christian country a Muslim state and himself a life president, Gadaffi is now encouraging Museveni to hang on to the presidency for life. The Colonel and the Libyan people he leads need an education of what has happened since he put millions of petro-dollars in service of Amin.
Firstly, Uganda is a democracy today which is governed by a constitution whose promulgation was with the sweat and blood of hundreds of thousands of our countrymen.
The sacrifices of those who fought Amin and died, unsung, in fields all over this country in support of the change promised by the National Resistance Army in 1986 is not in vain because a constitution today exists. To suggest that constitutions are useless is to disrespect those who gave their lives for that constitution.
Secondly, several elections, however contested, have been held in Uganda which now boasts of a multi-party democracy. We cannot be taking lessons on governance from Muammar Gadaffi and the Libyan Jamahariya.
Libya may have a lot of oil money, enough to gobble up Ugandan companies. However, those in charge of visits by Gadaffi should have the foresight to let him know that his money cannot buy respect. Ugandan hospitality to a leader of his calibre is based on mutual interests which include respect for culture, religion and the diversity of our societies.
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It is most unfortunate that Gadaffi was not told that his visit should not include reckless ridicule of the Ugandan constitution and the religion of the majority in this state.
Is it conceivable that Museveni could one day go to Libya and say the Koran is fake?
Is it not true that Sudan, an Islamic state which has been at war with Uganda for most of Museveni's rule, has fallen out precisely because of a lack of respect for religion and society?
This sounds patriotic, good and dandy, except that Muammar sponsored Museveni's guerrilla bush war. If it wasn't for Gaddaffis petrol-dollars its unlikely that Museveni would have grabbed power in 1986. For that Qaddafi will always want to be "paid." He wants to rule the USA (United States of Africa!) or at minimum militarily command its forces. He lost a fight with the west that is why he has been reduced to a oil trader; his proper station in life that the west loves. After "the Mad Dog of Libya" (Ronald Reagan's words) survived American bombs in 1986 and his foray... [Read Full Text]
Way to go man!! Nice post...Thanks for exposing the goat herder "Ghaddafi" we have for a leader. He brought his bedouin backwardness to the once marvelous Tripoli and literally shit all over it. He used his petro-dollars to buy admiration everywhere but respect is no where to be found. People cheer him on in his ugly purple robes sitting in his lush air conditioned tent claiming the defeat of the tent over the castle. The moron just took all the luxuries from the castle to the tent. Its a shame that with money he can buy all the cheers... [Read Full Text]
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