Surely, Brother J Ssemakula has to be thanked for this incisive article. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Muniini; whistling and drinking? By J. Ssemakula September 9, 2003
In his August 4 column titled Northern Killings Bring Out Racism Of Ugandans, Dr Muniini Mulera lamented the loss of nine civilians in Uganda’ s war in the north. The nine were victims of a UPDF gunship.
Muniini went on to tell us how he scanned newspapers worldwide, as well as the Internet discussion groups for signs of empathy and/or outrage for the victims to no avail.
He then concluded that this was a result of the so-called north-south divide, which is apparently responsible for racism in Uganda. He singled out the Baganda as being particularly indifferent to the suffering of their fellow Ugandans, who happen to be non-Baganda.
He went on to imply that we have been silent about this war because it is “them” who are dying, rather than “us”.
This showed me that Muniini is an intellectually dishonest person who seems to be hell-bent on spreading misinformation, maliciously designed to malign the Baganda in particular.
Muniini is shedding crocodile tears over the war in northern Uganda.
The fact of the matter is that the Baganda are just as helpless to stop this carnage as other Ugandans are. Had Muniini read the Ugandan newspapers carefully, he would surely have been struck by the outspokenness of the Baganda against the war.
Kabaka Mutebi II is on record speaking out on this matter, and advocating talks to bring about a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Our Nnabagereka is similarly on record calling for talks to end the carnage. Baganda religious leaders and other significant Baganda are also on record calling for peace talks.
In addition, some Baganda military officers, albeit retired, are on record as being unwilling to fight in this senseless war. Yet countless other Baganda in the UPDF have given their lives in the defence of Acholi civilians against the Kony menace.
Even more telling is the fact that the people of Luwero, who not too long ago were brutalised by some elements of “them”, to use Muniini’s phraseology, offered prayers to end that war.
Contrary to his holier-than-thou pontifications in his column, Muniini is on record, unashamedly calling for continued war in the north on at least one Internet discussion group - UNAANET, which caters mainly for Ugandans in North America.
The archives of UNAANET prove beyond a speck of doubt that Muniini has argued against negotiations with the rebels to bring this war to a peaceful end.
For example, on October 15, 2002, Muniini, addressing his contribution to “Edith, Richard, Beatrice, Abu, Anne and every African concerned about the situation in northern Uganda,” wrote:
“It may not be politically correct these days, but let me re-state my own position on Kony, a man who, together with his organisation, fits every definition of a terrorist.
While I fully understand and respect the reasons why many people, especially those living in Acholi, have been calling for talks with Kony, I just cannot bring myself to agree with the idea of negotiating with him. And I do not say this lightly.
“A man and his gang who have committed the most inhuman acts against our people, including our children, is not one that I count among opponents that are worthy of attempts at a negotiated settlement.
“For the life of me, I have never ever understood what it is that Kony hopes to achieve with his methods. I have been waiting for more than a decade to hear from anyone who can help me understand what Kony and the LRA are fighting for. I am still all ears. So for the record, please count me among those ‘dinosaurs’ who are fundamentally opposed to negotiations with Joseph Kony and his LRA.
“I fully agree with President Yoweri Museveni’s recent remarks that Kony and his senior commanders (Vincent Otti and another character whose name I am happy not to know) deserve capital punishment for their crimes.
“For years I have held the view that a hard-nosed military approach must be used to fight the LRA terrorists, and I have had no reason to change my mind. That is why I support Operation Iron Fist [in principle], knowing very well that the military option has, so far, not worked.
“Yet, having said that, I confess that I am so completely lost for ideas on how to resolve this horrible nightmare in our country, that I occasionally find myself saying: ‘OK, may be we should let those who know what to do to end the misery of our people in Acholi do so! May be talking might work. Anything to end the nightmare!’
“For me, saying and writing these words is like swallowing poison. But if I could be persuaded that talking to the devil might save innocent lives, then I might - just might- very unenthusiastically reassess my position on Kony and his senior colleagues in crime.
“I am yet to hear from anyone who can explain to me what it is that the government would be talking to Kony about, and what it is that the government should offer him. Do we know what the fellow wants, besides his deranged chants about ruling by the Old Testament?”
This excerpt shows Muniini advocating vehemently for continued war against the Kony rebels, complete with a take-no-prisoners attitude. He equates the very thought of reaching a negotiated settlement with Kony and his followers to “swallowing poison”, perhaps forgetting that wars kill people as surely as poison can.
One wonders whether Muniini does not know that people die in the “hard-nosed military approach” he so fervently advocates. In his column, he did not care to inform the reading public if, when or how his about-face with regard to this war had come about.
Thus, for him to now speak from both sides of his mouth about “murder by state, albeit unintended murder”, “mass murder by the UPDF”, “victims of friendly fire” and “collateral damage”, as he so delicately puts it, shows what a cynical person we have in our midst.
One would have hoped that the distinction between murder - unlawful, intentional killing of a person with malice aforethought — and manslaughter - unlawful homicide without malice aforethought — would at least not have been sacrificed so callously in Muniini’s sermon.
I think it would help if Muniini occasionally dismounted his high horse and spent a little time on terra firma with us, mere mortals, to get better acquainted with what our ideals and aspirations are.
The Baganda continue to plead for negotiations with the rebels precisely because, incredible as it might seem to him, we would like to avoid the horrors of “collateral damage”, to borrow one of his banal euphemisms. After all, it is with one’s enemies that one makes peace.
Muniini concluded his piece by calling on all of us to hang our heads in shame. Clearly, it is Muniini, a two-faced warmonger, who deserves to hang his head in shame. One ought not to be surprised that Muniini has mastered the dark art of whistling and drinking a glass of water, all at the same moment.
This tragic accident (until proven otherwise) ought to motivate us further to press the Government of Uganda to seek a political solution to this war as soon as possible.
The author is a Ugandan living in the United States [EMAIL PROTECTED]
© 2003 The Monitor Publications
Mitayo Potosi
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