'Museveni letter' forged - minister
By Badru D. Mulumba
September 18, 2003
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KAMPALA - President Yoweri Museveni's 'letter' to Prof. Edward Rugumayo was possibly a forgery, the trade minister yesterday said. But an MP on Uganda's delegation to the World Trade Organisation trade talks in Cancun, Mexico, says that delegates saw the letter but ignored it. Rugumayo said that he did not receive any letter from Mr Museveni. "I never saw the letter by the president, I haven't seen that letter," Rugumayo said. "No. I don't know that letter," he repeated. "There are so many forgeries around." Asked if Uganda's delegation was arm-twisted in any way, Rugumayo said: "But they are always arm-twisting. The only new thing is that we stood together." Rumour of a letter But Mr John Kawanga (Masaka Municipality) said that he saw the purported letter. Kawanga and Ms Margaret Ateng (Lira District) were on Uganda's official delegation. Kawanga said that he saw photocopies of the purported letter. But such a letter, he added, would not affect negotiations. This is because thousands of statements were circulating during the talks. "And you would need a translation of the letter into dozens of languages to get any attention," Kawanga said. The letter reportedly seemed to suggest that African countries were better off allying with the rich western countries than with fellow poor Asian and Latin American countries.
Museveni said, at a press conference late on Tuesday, that he would explain his position on world trade in writing. The Monitor has been able to get some insight on the President's views from an article he co-wrote with his Ghanaian counterpart, Mr John Kufuor, in the Washington Times, an American newspaper, on August 28, before the talks in Cancun. The two presidents called for caution in the attempts to remove patent rights over badly needed drugs, such as those that fight HIV/Aids. "It would be a travesty if the very real suffering of our people was used as a pretext for letting companies from the most advanced developing countries in Asia and Latin America produce copycat drugs for any ailment in any country claiming a need. "What incentive will these companies have to make copies for the poor of Africa at tiny profit margins if they can market them more lucratively to wealthier populations elsewhere? As for the companies that are forced to surrender their patent rights, what incentive will they have to continue developing the new drugs and vaccines for which we in Africa pray daily?" the two presidents wrote.
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© 2003 The Monitor Publications
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