Security forces defend the state and protect citizens, not governments

Museveni was absolutely right when he stated in 1993 that “The army [security forces] should be just for guarding the borders [defending the state] and maintaining internal peace [law and order]… That is all… They should guard what the people want, not do what the people don’t want. I do not agree with military governments… I do not think the army has a role in government… The people are the sovereign force”(Africa Report July/August 1993).

Nobody can disagree with this statement. The problem is that Museveni practices what he does not preach. He does the opposite of what he says most of the time! And he has been doing this for the last twenty five years. The people of Uganda are now fed up because he has consistently and deliberately done what the people do not want – using security forces to violate their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

Highlights of Banyarwanda in Eastern DRC

The political and economic history of eastern DRC has become complex because of the gifts of nature. First, apart from diamonds in southern Kasai, all the known minerals lie in the eastern part of the country from Orientale in the north to Shaba in the south with Maniema, North and South Kivu in between. Second, most of the fertile land, abundant rainfall and good weather are found in the same area. Third, political developments in Rwanda’s history have caused many Banyarwanda to seek new homes including in eastern DRC. Fourth, natural or man-made disasters such as droughts have caused frequent food shortages forcing people out of Rwanda into neighboring countries. Fifth, Belgian policy to ease animal and human pressure in Rwanda and to recruit workers in plantations, mines and construction industries in eastern DRC led to movement of people and animals from Rwanda to DRC. Thus eastern DRC has acted like a magnet in attracting people looking for minerals, for jobs, for land, for shelter and for sustenance. The situation was particularly dramatic in 1959-61 when Batutsi left Rwanda en masse following the political disturbances leading up to independence in 1962, and the invasion of Rwanda by rebels in 1994 that drove millions of Bahutu out of Rwanda into eastern DRC. How have these movements of people and animals from Rwanda to eastern DRC contributed to the instability in the region? Let us start with Banyamulenge from western Rwanda to south Kivu.