Dear brothers and sisters
As you may have noticed, I have since the beginning of this year (2012), sent messages to Members of Parliament, religious leaders, youth and women. Regardless of our profession, region, ethnic group, faith, age and gender, we are all Ugandans with a common destiny – to live in peace and security, create wealth and enjoy happiness. When this does not happen, we should all come together and find a mutually acceptable solution. Since 1966 Uganda has suffered serious political, economic, social and environmental deficits.
When NRM came to power in 1986, it declared that it was going to end the long suffering of the people of Uganda and even “put back the ‘hair’ on the bald heads of Uganda hills”. These announcements endeared the government to the people of Uganda, friends and well wishers. In response, Ugandans sacrificed and tightened their belts to give all the support the government needed in the early years of its administration. Our friends and well wishers donated generously in money and experts. Notwithstanding these efforts, suffering has spread and deepened and Uganda hills have lost more hair. The suffering of the people of Uganda is everywhere for all to see and cannot be denied. It was adequately summarized during last year’s (2011) Christmas sermons.
Here are a few examples of this suffering that is affecting most families including security forces in one form or another. Pregnant women are producing underweight children with permanent physical and mental disabilities because they are undernourished, women are dying in child birth and children are either dying early or are developing smaller brains jeopardizing their future because they do not eat balanced diet in the first three years. Millions are going to bed on empty stomachs and children are dropping out of school because they are hungry. Eating too much cassava or maize without adequate nutrient supplements combined with stress has resulted in increasing neurological disabilities including insanity. Diseases that had been defeated are back with a vengeance. Education has lost quality and relevance; graduates cannot find jobs or compete with foreigners for a few openings on the market. Ugandans who are working are underpaid and often not paid on time; many suffer disguised unemployment because they are engaged in inferior jobs with low productivity, and work under very difficult conditions. Domestic workers are often abused. When people are frustrated and become desperate, they do unusual things. They drink too much alcohol and end up causing all sorts of accidents including traffic. They engage in human trafficking and sacrifice, abandon culture and morality and become violent at home and in public. They engage in criminal activities and become corrupt and abandon community cohesion. Sadly, Uganda has reached this stage, threatening peace and security and undermining prospects for creating wealth and enjoying happiness. Because of these deficits, Uganda’s future is very bleak but it is not too late. That is why Ugandans have begun debate about alternatives to halt and reverse the current trajectory. These debates are going to be controversial and heated at times until a formula has been found. We therefore need constructive engagement.
What Uganda is going through has happened from time immemorial. When this happens, it essentially means that the contract between the government and people has been breached. Unless the situation is corrected, there are bound to be conflicts which should be resolved through negotiations. During this period security forces should stay neutral. When a government unwilling to engage in dialogue calls on security forces to violate citizens’ human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in national, regional and international instruments, security forces should refuse to comply or defend the people when the government tries to or abuses their rights and freedoms. Here are a few illustrations of security forces declaring neutrality or deserting government leaders. Hopefully these illustrations will serve as lessons for Uganda security forces. It must be realized that in the end no amount of force can silence determined voices of dissent permanently.
In 1979, there was a struggle between the Shah and people of Iran. The security forces ultimately decided to stay neutral. In 1986, there was a struggle between Marcos and the people of Philippines over presidential election results. The security forces deserted Marcos. In 1989, there were massive demonstrations against the government in Romania. The security forces, workers and patriotic guard refused to use force to disperse the demonstrators and deserted Ceausescu. In 1991 soldiers in the Soviet Union stayed neutral when a group in Gorbachev government staged a military coup that failed.
The responsibility of security forces including in Uganda is to defend the territory against invasion and protect citizens from any domestic attack. When that attack comes from government against peaceful dissent, security forces protect the people. Since the elections in 2011, the relations between the government and people have deteriorated. The people of Uganda like everywhere else have a right to complain by peaceful means so that their grievances are addressed. When people using peaceful means of dissent are attacked as happened in Libya and is happening in Syria, people resort to armed struggle with heavy losses in lives and property. All sides are adversely affected including members of security forces.
United Democratic Ugandans (UDU) an umbrella organization of opposition parties and groups in Uganda and abroad was formed in July 2011 to coordinate activities and speak with one voice including in diplomatic circles to resolve differences with the NRM government by peaceful means in the first instance. As a basis for this dialogue which should result in a transitional government, UDU has prepared a comprehensive National Recovery Plan (NRP) which has been widely distributed including to the NRM government through the ministry of foreign affairs, and development partners. It is an alternative plan to the NRM policies whose outcomes were outlined above. The Plan is accessible at www.udugandans.org. Without a strong economic foundation, peace, security, wealth and happiness will not be realized in Uganda for present and future generations.
As Ugandans and NRM government sort out their differences, we appeal to all branches of security forces to stay neutral.
Sincerely,
Eric Kashambuzi
Secretary-General, UDU