"You will hear what will happen to Kony in three weeks," he said. "We are perfecting the art of killing," Mr Museveni boasted, prompting delegates to murmur.
Rwanda can't cross border - Museveni By Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda April 1, 2003 President Yoweri Museveni yesterday told the Movement National Conference (NC) that he does not mind Rwanda deploying its soldiers at the border with Uganda. "Nobody can cross that border," Mr Museveni said yesterday while responding to submissions made by the NC delegates meeting at the International Conference Centre in Kampala. He said the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) would stay in their barracks despite Rwanda's reported deployment near the Uganda border. He said that Ugandans should not get worried as long as the Rwandan troops remain inside their country. A delegate from the home area of renegade UPDF officer Lt. Col. Anthony Kyakabale asked Mr Museveni to allow local leaders there to persuade him to return from exile in Rwanda. "We don't want war," the delegate said. "Get in touch with him. After all he has not killed. If we have forgiven [Mr Joseph] Kony, who has killed, what about Kyakabale?" Mr Museveni said. He cited the Amnesty Law which allows rebels and insurgents like the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader, Mr Kony, to be pardoned. Mr Museveni said Lt. Col. Kyakabale and others were taken to the DR Congo by "some people" that he did not name to fight the government of Uganda. Lt. Col. Kyakabale and several other renegade UPDF officers are living in exile in Rwanda. But yesterday, President Museveni said that the Lendu tribal militia in the DR Congo had killed many of Lt. Col. Kyakabale's recruits. Talking about rebellions in the country, a seemingly angry Mr Museveni gave Mr Kony a new deadline of three weeks to surrender or face the firepower of the UPDF. "You will hear what will happen to Kony in three weeks," he said. "We are perfecting the art of killing," Mr Museveni boasted, prompting delegates to murmur. "Killing bandits," the president quickly qualified his statement. Talking about the alleged mistreatment of Movement supporters in Kampala by multiparty leaders, Mr Museveni said that the police and local administration should deal with the problem. He told Ms Mariam Kiwanuka Namayanja (from the Vice President's office) that mistreatment of the Movement's supporters is not a strong reason to oppose a return to competitive multiparty politics. Mr Museveni was accompanied by his wife Janet. The president recalled telling the former Electoral Commission chairman Hajji Aziz Kasujja to computerise the voter registers to eliminate rigging but the project fell through. Mr Museveni said he has again asked the new EC Chairman, Prof. Badru Kiggundu, to ensure the computerised voters register is ready for the 2006 general elections. Mr Museveni said that he also knows of Movement supporters who rigged in the 2001 elections. "But it was much less," he said. According to the president, the opposition massively rigged the elections in Kampala. Mr Museveni, who presided over the NC meeting, allowed all delegates representing interest groups to read out their memoranda except the army and police. "The army and police wanted to say something but I would discourage them because of the phase we are entering," he said. He said the army should concentrate on defeating Mr Kony. "That would be enough contribution. The police should also concentrate on controlling crime," Mr Museveni said. "Once we open up, the army and intelligence services should stay out [of politics]." He said that the security organs are supposed to serve all people. Former President Godfrey Binaisa said that Baganda should give up their demand that Kampala should once again become part of Buganda. The former president said that Buganda should also come down on its other demands. He said Buganda should be granted federal status without being burdened to persuade other regions to accept the arrangement. More than 50 delegates who spoke over the two days proposed a third term for Mr Museveni and supported the idea of freeing political parties. The Young Movement Association praised Minister of Local Government Jaberi Bidandi Ssali for igniting the debate on freeing political parties.
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