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| photo: http://www.personal.psu.edu/ |
Like
always, I support or oppose any given political incident given the valuation I
give it. For me, Museveni’s intervention has both negative and positive aspects
to it. And both of these have something to teach not only the South Sudanese
people but the Ugandans themselves; who seem to be in a deep political slumber;
or a hypnotic semblance of democracy.
While
there are positive sides to this ‘intervention’, the ‘intervention’ is largely
negative because it’s self-interest motivated and unintelligibly pursued.Pros of Museveni’s Intervention
The White Army and the Nuer soldiers who joined Dr. Riek Machar in his Rebellion didn’t do so because they wanted to per se. It’s very clear that they did so as a response to the reported massacres of unarmed Nuer civilians in Juba. This tells me that had the ‘White Army’ advanced to Juba or captured Juba, the city would have been a grotesque scene of massive tribal genocide. My reasoning rests on the fact that the White Army had and still has no clear political agenda. With no doubt, they only wanted to take revenge regarding what they heard coming out of Juba.
This
is manifest in what they did in Bor, Malakal and Bentiu and other areas they
mindlessly ravaged.
Museveni’s
‘intervention’ therefore helped prevent the capture of Juba and the avoidance of
what would have been a massive genocide.
We
also need to remember also that had Riek and the White Army captured Juba,
President Kiir wouldn’t have just given up and leave Riek Machar to assume
presidency. Having seen how the president relies so much on his Jieeng
tribesmen, it’s conceivable that the president would have actually mobilized
the Jieeng tribe to reclaim his presidency or wage a guerrilla-style war.
Whatever
the case would have been, the capture of Juba would have been a disaster for
South Sudan because the WA would have done what they did in Bor, Bentiu and
Malakal by going on a killing rampage!
Another
positive consequence of Museveni’s ‘intervention’ is the fact that it showed
South Sudan’s leadership that a strong, cohesive, well-trained and
always-paid-on-time army is crucial for national defense.
The Cons of Museveni’s Intervention
Museveni
and Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) made a mockery of not only the South
Sudanese national army but also, South Sudanese generally. Had President
Museveni been a conscientious leader who’s helping out a fellow president,
Museveni would have put his UPDF forces under the solid command of the SPLA
without any exception.
When the government forces recaptured the state capital town of Bor from the rebel forces in January, the indiscipline Uganda commander, one Paddy Ankunda (or whatever his name is) unashamedly announced that “UPDF has captured the town of Bor in S. Sudan. Big relief to trapped Ugandan, international community.” How about the SPLA acknowledging UPDF instead of UPDF unashamedly claiming credit in a war that’s not theirs! You’re only helping! Duh! Whatever happened to humility among Africans?
This was for one a great insult to the
President of South Sudan (who asked for UPDF’s help), the SPLA as the national
army, and the general spirit of building bilateral relations. If this is the
best discipline the UPDF top brass can offer then good luck to dear Uganda
populace!
Embarrassing the nation you are supposedly
helping is naïve at best and imbecilic at worst.
A good lesson is this: Get a real friend
next time; a friend who’d not embarrass you and selfishly call it ‘intervention’.
Besides the fact that UPDF, the supposedly
brotherly force helping a good neighbor, were nothing but hired mercenaries who
were paid by the government of South Sudan as the average South Sudanese died
of hunger and diseases, they did nothing if little to save the lives of
innocent civilians.
Civilians were butchered in Bor, Malakal,
Bentiu and other areas of South Sudan in their presence and they had the nerves
to brag about capturing the town of Bor? They captured ashes and dead civilian
bodies!
As if it wasn’t immoral enough for Uganda
to delve into the coffers of a poor nation at war and whose citizens were dying
through guns, hunger and diseases, they took the money but did nothing to
protect the civilians. South Sudanese died in their thousands as UPDF took the
SPLA money! SPLA wasn’t paid as UPDF took the money!
The moral lesson: Next time you need a friendly
force, get us someone who actually cares about civilian lives not just money!
And we also know that any leader who thinks
he’s the only person capable of leading his country is delusional and cares
less about his own people. A good leader knows that each and every citizen is an
equal and that a host of citizens is capable of leading the country. This
latter sentiment fosters self-esteem among the citizens and a sense of
equality. However, Museveni believes he’s the only man capable of leading
Uganda. Why would we allow such a mind
to be a close ally when he doesn’t care about his own people?
I’m
sorry, Uganda, but President Museveni is treating you like idiots and that’s
the same way he’s treating South Sudanese leaders. Think for yourself for once!
Vote Museveni out!
I know some South Sudanese and Ugandans
will rush to say: “But Museveni helped you during your liberation war! You’re
being such an ingrate!”
The average Ugandan is the friend of South Sudan not President Museveni!
Well, if you know what politics is then
know that nations and leaders don’t ‘care’ about other nations and their
leaders. They show interest as long as there are tangible and visible benefits
obtainable from such an ostensible ‘care.’ Museveni never cared about South
Sudanese. He had high stakes in helping late Dr. John Garang de Mabior succeed!
America of course!
But remember, I’m not aiming this at the
average citizens of Uganda (who are our actual friends) but National Resistance
Movement and UPDF. (I don’t know what Museveni is still resisting!) Resistance against Democracy, Human Rights and
Freedom?
And worst of all, President Museveni either
has a mental problem or is utterly and blindly arrogant. How on earth do you
say you’re part of a bloc (IGAD) that wants to end the war in South Sudan but
then you take side? How on earth do you declare yourself part of the mediating
body and then take up guns and shoot at one side of the two parties you’re
supposed to bring together? Maybe NRM has a different definition of a ‘good
leader’ or ‘Intervention’! This man is way worse than Goodluck B. Jonathan of
Nigeria and Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.
The same Museveni, who had to get help from
South Sudan, Central African Republic and Congo to go after a weak rebel group
under another delusional and murderous man, Joseph Kony, is making fun of
leaders facing crisis! Wasn’t Lord Resistance Army (LRA) killing people in
Northern Uganda, abducting girls and boys, cutting off people’s limbs and terrorizing
the whole population? Why didn’t Museveni hang himself then?
Why did it take years for Museveni to
reduce the effect of LRA in Northern Uganda? Why are UPDF and NRM unable to
capture Joseph Kony even when Riek Machar was able to meet him! Isn’t UPDF such
a mighty army?
Lesson: A man who can’t put his house in
order can’t put another man’s house in order. Thousands of Ugandans were
terrorized, maimed or killed by Kony while UPDF and Museveni were there! Why
did we think Museveni and UPDF could prevent our civilians from being killed?
And lastly, South Sudan, as a new nation,
wants to develop as a democratic and human-rights-conscious state. President
Museveni is a grotesque figure to even think of as a role model. Besides his shameful
treatment of opposition figures like Dr. Kizza Besigye, his determination to
remain in power for eternity is a good but scary example! He’s a scary figure
to run away from!
To recap, Museveni showed no respect for
South Sudan and its leaders, has no heart as he allowed his UPDF to be paid by
the struggling South Sudanese government, failed to protect civilians, and he’s
not a person to be emulated at all. Human rights are just like Britain in the
15th century. Freedom is regarded as anti-NRM and Museveni thinks
there’s democracy in Uganda!
While Museveni has helped in keeping Kiir
in Power, his name should be considered incompatible with humane care, freedom,
democracy, human rights, honesty, human decency, and respect for one’s friends!
Sorry Beny Museveni, it looks like Kiir isn’t going to hang himself anytime
soon!
Unless Museveni democratically and
peacefully transfers power, and actually democratizes Uganda, South Sudan
should stay away from this mad man! Seriously, what good can we possibly learn
from President Museveni? Many bad things: Stay in power for eternity,
intimidate and make opposition figures’ lives hell on earth, assume regional
supremacy, stifle human rights and freedom, spend the money on the army not
development, hoodwink the civil population…oh man!
Kuir
ë Garang is a South Sudanese poet and author living in Canada. He’s the author
of ‘South Sudan Ideologically’and 'Is 'Black' Really Beautiful?' For the contact visit www.kuirthiy.info
