No Besigye, UNRF Rebel Link, Says Ali
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The Monitor (Kampala)
December 17, 2002
Posted to the web December 17, 2002
Badru D. Mulumba
Kampala
The Second Deputy Prime Minister Brig. Moses Ali has dispelled reports that
Dr. Kizza Besigye has linked up with Uganda National Rescue Front II rebels
in West Nile to attack Uganda.
Ali was addressing a press conference in his office at Postel Building in
Kampala last evening. He said the reports are malicious rumours cultivated by
people who want to frustrate the ongoing peace negotiations between
government and the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) II rebels.
Ali is also Minister of Disaster Preparedness.
"It is not true definitely. This is a very malicious rumour," he said when he
was asked about the authenticity of the reports of the Besigye-UNRF II link.
Ali was flanked by 12 Members of Parliament from West Nile including the
Attorney General Francis Ayume, the Minister of State for Northern Uganda
Reconstruction Programme Agard Didi and the Minister for Gender, Labour and
Social Development Zoe Bakoko Bakoru.
He said the rumours started spreading in the first week of this month.
"Last week, almost everyone was running to the bush because of the heavy lies
being spread around; that Besigye is going to join UNRF. Who told you that?"
Ali asked.
The West Nile MPs said in a joint statement that they support the peace
ongoing initiative between the government and rebels in West Nile.
They thanked government for approaching UNRF II rebels for peaceful
resolution of the conflict.
"We are also grateful to UNRF II and its leadership for accepting peace,
abandoning war and their willingness to come out of the bush," the MPs said
in the statement.
The MPs said they will travel to West Nile on Friday to interact with the
UNRF II leadership and the local community.
"We appeal to all the people of West Nile not to allow the current peaceful
situation to degenerate into chaos and to guard against irresponsible rumour
mongering that could lead to bloodshed," the MPs said.
"We also appeal to government to ensure maximum protection for the population
against any chaos that could result from rumour mongering and or any other
cause."
