{UAH} Institutions and leaders that survive adjust to circumstances

History is full of examples showing that institutions and leaders that object to change in the midst of demands for it sooner or later run into trouble and get dismantled and thrown out.

The French kings and Russian Czars ended up in revolutions because they were unable to read or accept the writings on the wall. Closer to home, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and Haile Sellassie of Ethiopia did not read properly or simply refused to accept the changing mood of the people and of foreign supporters. Their ego overshadowed pragmatism.

Kings, Queens and political leaders who are visionary step down when they feel strong forces of change blowing across their kingdoms and countries or make fundamental changes that address peoples' demands.

Many people who saw how Prince William behaved when he emerged from the hospital with his wife and their new born son George commented that he behaved like an ordinary person – simply dressed and even drove the family from the hospital to the palace. He endeared himself to the British people and many others around the world.

Although it is believed that the Tudors of England believed in the divine right of kings, they managed to work with parliament and get what they wanted without political conflicts. On the other hand, the Stuarts who also believed in the divine right of kings felt they did not need parliament to run the affairs of the kingdom including generating revenue through taxation. They soon ran into trouble with parliament and a civil war and execution of Charles I were the results.   

We have serious problems in the Great Lakes region because some people believe they are superior and born to rule others for ever. Their ego is so strong that they are unable to accommodate the changing circumstances.

We are in the 21^st century but Museveni and Kagame behave towards their Bantu subjects and other ethnic groups as though we are still in pre-colonial and feudal Rwanda of between 15^th and 19^th centuries when Tutsi abused the political, economic and social rights and freedoms of Hutu and Bairu people with impunity. Bantu and other non-Tutsi people in the Great Lakes region are now more enlightened about their rights and freedoms than before. They understand their rights and freedoms as contained in the UN Charter, the Declaration of Human Rights and Covenants on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development as well as other regional and national instruments and won't settle for less.

The only way to resolve the impasse is for Museveni and Kagame to adjust to the changing circumstances so that all the people in the Great Lakes region live side by side in peace and stability, national and individual security, prosperity, equity and happiness.

The United Nations Security Council meeting today (July 25, 2013) on the Great Lakes region political situation under the presidency of the United States needs to bring these demands to the attention of Uganda and Rwanda leaders. The differences must be resolved through peaceful negotiations resulting in win-win outcomes.

We need to understand that the conflicts are not water tight between Tutsi and non-Tutsi people. There are many Tutsi and many Bantu people and other groups who want peaceful co-existence but it is the few Tutsi who want to cling to power and hand it over to their relatives when they retire that are causing all the suffering.

Those who think that I am wasting useful resources writing and talking about Tutsi wrongdoing need to understand that without getting to the root cause of the problem which is Tutsi insistence that they are white people, superior and born to rule, the Great Lakes region will not stabilize to allow economic growth and equitable distribution of economic growth benefits to take place.

In Uganda Tutsi have occupied the country under Museveni who claims he defeated Ugandans with Tutsi mercenaries and has the right to occupy the country and govern the conquered people. Rwanda under Kagame with Museveni support is trying to occupy eastern DRC through the military activities of M23.

The statement made two days ago by the Department of State of the United States advising Rwanda to stop supporting M23 and pull Rwanda military personnel out of DRC is a welcome move in the right direction. We trust other powers will do the same. The problem in the region will be resolved when interests outside Africa, leaders in Uganda and Rwanda and the militia they support inside DRC end their destructive political and military engagements.

It has been impossible to develop the well endowed region in the midst of war which has claimed millions of lives and displaced millions of others. The ending of hostilities will enable the region to prepare for post-2015 development agenda and transform the region's economies and societies and move the people out of the poverty trap and the associated hunger, disease and ignorance.

Regarding Uganda, Museveni's inflexibility in economic policies that have continued to implement the long abandoned structural adjustment and refusal to embrace stimulus packages to create jobs, provide social protection to vulnerable people including school lunch and accelerate economic growth and failure or unwillingness to control rampant corruption, sectarianism and mismanagement of public funds have resulted in serious economic, social and environmental challenges.

Militarizing the police department and relying more on the military and security institutions to abuse the rights and freedoms of citizens will lead to further decadence and possibly a revolution in the end. Uganda is already a failed state, a clear indication that time has come for a fundamental change of leadership and policies because Museveni and his NRM government have lost the will and capacity to arrest and reverse the decadent situation. With help of friends and well wishers change can be effected without resorting to war.

Wars are costly in human and material terms. It is estimated that during the First World War 30 million people perished through military action and related hunger and disease. It is also estimated that during the Second World War more than 50 million people lost their lives.

When the Rwanda Patriotic Front and its military wing invaded Rwanda in 1990 it was thought that Kigali would fall within a week. It took five years and resulted in genocide and the war crossed over into DRC where millions have lost their lives and properties destroyed and the killing and destruction have continued as I write.

Those Ugandans who are bent on war in the first instance to topple Museveni and his regime need to think again also paying attention to what is happening in Syria and that the mood in Africa and the rest of the world has turned against military overthrow of governments regardless of how they got in and how they are performing.

We should also keep in mind that there are elements among Ugandans that would want to see the opposition start a war to give Museveni an excuse to clear the country of real and imagined enemies and then do what he wants thereafter. We must therefore be careful about talk of war especially by people who don't disclose who they are and who they are working with.

So let us exercise flexibility and examine other options. So far the political and diplomatic methods are working albeit slowly for some Ugandans who want quick results considering that UDU and Radio Munansi started about two years ago.

However, we Ugandans reserve the right to use force as a last resort or in self-defense only which is recognized worldwide. Therefore Ugandans must keep military training alive and we ask our friends and well wishers to lend us a helping hand in this noble effort to make things better for all Ugandans and investors and visitors as well as in other parts of the Great Lakes region.   

Eric Kashambuzi

Secretary General, UDU