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African Church Information Service
September 29, 2003
Posted to the web September 29, 2003
Crespo Sebunya
Kampala
A confidential Ministry of Foreign Affairs report wants all the 23 Ugandan foreign missions' security boosted, fearing a backlash over the country's support for the US-led war on Iraq.
The report says terrorist threat is real on Ugandan missions because of the Iraq issue. "The need for increased security is relevant and immediate, following Ugandan overt support for US war on Iraq," says the report, adding, "Our missions abroad need to be secured urgently, notwithstanding the fact that doing that is a costly venture."
The increased resources in the intelligence gathering bodies, which the report says is crucial in building intelligence, underlines this concern.
Internal Security Organisation and the External Security Organisation budgets overshot by 103 percent as the bodies upgraded their technical capabilities.
The Iraqi issue has thus presented an additional burden on Uganda, which, according to the report, is already overwhelmed with financial bills.
The country has defaulted in fulfilling its financial commitments to international bodies. A 2003/2004 budget statement of the foreign affairs ministry says such arrears stand at US$ 7.5 million.
Uganda is a member of international bodies like Africa Union (AU), East Africa Community (EAC), Common Markets for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and Kagera Basin Organisation (KBO).
As a result of this strain it is speculated that Uganda could ultimately withdraw from COMESA, KBO, and IGAD, once EAC takes root.
