{UAH} IDDI AMIN NEVER TARGETED LANGIs/ACHOLIs, THEY TARGETED HIM { ---------Series eighteen }

Friends

 

Before 1962, Uganda which became one country under colonial administration, was peaceful and progressing. Tribal conflict between Buganda and Bunyoro Kitara had ended and Ugandans from North to South, East to West looked forward to visiting Kampala their country's capital city where most actions took place. When Uganda got independence, Ugandans still hoped that the peace that existed under colonial administration would still continue and they would contribute equally to move their young nation forward under the theme: "One people One country". That honeymoon was short lived and hope shattered as Nakulabye predicted what was yet to come. It was prelude to Uganda's tribal future.

That future was to be defined in 1966 by two men in whose hands colonial administrators handed the crested crane, Uganda's national symbol. It was the first realization that tribal division and conflict would tear Uganda apart. Instead of negotiating the common misunderstanding that had occurred  between the State House and Bulange Sir Edward Mutesa's residence no longer King of Buganda, but Present of Uganda, Dr. Apollo Milton Obote, no longer a son of goat herder in Akokoro but President of Uganda, ordered Iddi Amin to attack Lubiri and bring Mutesa to him dead or alive. Whether by God's grace, or "magezi ga Baganda" through "mayembe", the king escaped and to be returned home in a casket by the same person who was ordered to kill him in the first place. What happened in 1966 said a lot, that Obote's only way of resolving conflict whether personal or national was through the gun, or arrest, because he did the same thing in 1971 when he ordered his military head Amin to be arrested. It is very unfortunate, that our friends the Acholi and Lango have failed to acknowledge the source of Uganda's political unrest, social economic and cultural collapse which originated from their hometown of Lira backed militarily by Kitgum and Gulu. The distrust between Amin a Kakwa and Obote a Lango was already well established before the coup of 1971 considering that Amin had briefly disappeared following the assassination attempt on Obote's life. The coup of 1971 sealed Uganda's future in blood as both men Amin and Obote decided to settle their scores militarily using Uganda as their battlefield with Acoli and Lango siding with their own president Dr. Apollo Milton while Amin falling back to his tribal base West Nile and leaving the rest of Ugandans headless.

The entire decade of 1970s was marked by conflict between Acholi, Lango and Nubians with a few Ugandans joining in without knowing the purpose of the conflict in which they were involved. Of course, what was obvious was that Obote was determined to regain his presidency and Amin was determine to protect his own life by keeping his enemies at bay. Obote however, had an upper hand with support from Tanzania and the international community and by the end of the decade of the 70s he had mastered enough support to show Amin the door. Without wasting time Acholi went straight to Amin's home region and massacred the people in revenge and by doing so cementing the division that existed between West Nile and Acholi. To this day, even though there is pretense that normal relationship exists between the two regions, there is none. Both regions are seriously wounded by each other beyond repair. This has provided an excellent opportunity for Museveni to rule Uganda for life. Without active participation politically and militarily of West Nile and Madi districts, there is no way Museveni is going anywhere. Even if he goes, his own people will take charge. And the blame lies squarely on the doorsteps of Acholi and Lango for being trigger happy and refusing to acknowledge their obvious role in sowing seeds of distrust in Uganda and burying its future prematurely. I had a hope that my series would create an opportunity for real dialogue in which every tribe acknowledges their role in bringing Uganda down. To my disappointment, it is taboo to say that Acholi did this or that. You cannot treat a patient unless they accept that they have a problem.

 

Strangely Acholis have no problem on Uganda what so ever.

 

 

Stay in the forum for Series nineteen  is on the way   ------>

 

 

EM

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"