{UAH} Congress folks: Accusing OLARA Otunnu is pathetic tribalism,

Congress folks: Accusing OLARA Otunnu is pathetic tribalism,

By Ocaya pOcure

FIRST, let us not forget that 'People' always 'organise-in' information that they want to present because it serves their purpose. Now that which does not is 'organised out'. I am including myself here. Any narrative that is detrimental to an argument must remain as far away as possible just in case those nearby jump on it, use it to discredit a well-constructed image, and worse wash the dirty linen in public. To this end those vocabularies they ring-fence and float nearby are ones that can give them the best credibility such as that can earn them the title 'intellectually honest'. 

Here I want to say that engaging in such a well-equipped person, sensitive to the processing or organising information is well aware that TRUTH has no place in any engagement or dialogue.  In such a terrain, the opponents have to equip themselves with different tools or approaches to generate an honest dialogue. Lately, Journalist, Kalyegira Timothy wrote an article in The Monitor dated 22^nd /11 entitled 'Is it end of the road for oldest parties?'!

In this context, to take a long-cut, I think, the analysis by the article of Omwami Timothy Kalyegira, which Jadwong Adhola invoked in this forum, regarding a strong military-type leadership for the UPC party, is very interesting. However interesting indeed, given the current international politics, the contents of that article might not gain strong attention. 

Why? Because, the international politics has been overtaken by paranoia and arrogance of the Single Super Power. This 'organised-out' those who want to have their political space or freedom are quickly condemned and given nasty names. Take a look at the Cold War era as to how the Arab world failed to help, let alone treat Palestine folks as human beings. Under such paranoia, the Western world in the image of America with her cahoots there exists no way for political space or freedom. The apartheid regime of Israel has not been different with the one we in Africa had in the Southern African region. Our founding African nationalists, including the late AMO, can be said, did not enjoy their sleep over these matters. Those past nationalists worked hard despite the risks involved, which outcome was the freedom of the whole Southern African region from the yoke of apartheid regimes. Closer at home. 

I think the accusations of OLARA Otunnu, who was living very far away from Uganda some thousands of miles in New York, of being a leading Acoli man to overthrow the UPC government in July 1985 without an iota of evidence is absurd and sick. Let us not forget the well-known and central folks in wreaking havocs in Kampala and other towns of Uganda, those sprayed bombs at the residential homes of Acoli soldiers, which quickened the collapsed of the UPC party led government. Shall I say, if it was Acoli soldiers, commanded by Acoli military officers who torched and bullet fellow Acoli soldiers, under UPC II, those armed with high-level vocabularies such as Ms Kalyegira and Adhola might have selected appropriate words to isolate and blame Acoli, whichever way they turn? 

I suspect the word tribalism would not have applied on Otunnu. The bitter truth, was that, a small ethnic groups who never contributed on the campaign to remove dictator Amin, within no time, became the 'Perfect Breeds' of  Military Officers under some dubious promotion schemes. Let us not forget that, those 'Perfect Breeds' were strong defenders of the Amin Regime, that had slaughtered all and sundry, Acoli especially, while inside the troops of dictator Amin.  Is it any wonder that in space of 3 years, they had found their footing to continue their good works? The question now is, where will the UPC party have or recruit the new foot soldiers if our historical handling of those who sacrificed most in the removal of Idi Amin were phased out without respect? 

SECOND, for UPC party members and us Ugandans in general, in this dual compartment we have destroyed ourselves by what I may call political short-sightedness. I think, the UPC party political leaderships failed to honour their true foot soldiers on coming to power after the removal of dictator Amin from power. I think, this failure made it easier for the NRA/M7 bandits to gain some dubious political ground and confusion, which made it easy for them to destroy the UPC party. Shall I add here that FRONASA operatives were well operating inside, the Second (II) UPC, government that is long beyond UNLF?

Imagine, if our political leaderships had acted genuinely with some great respects and humility and honoured those foot soldiers who walked the lengths from Owiny Kibul, Port Sudan, Somalia, and later to Northern Tanzanian region to launch a military campaign against dictator Amin. The story would probably be different and/or not being read with indifference. LET the truth be told, that the true foot soldiers were being hunted from their homesteads by the very troops of Amin, those of Ogole John, Opond Acak and cahoots, who had just removed their Idi Amin's Army uniforms. With great rapidity, they were promoted by the UPC party led government under dubious schemes, yet the true foot soldiers were left on the cold and termed 'disgusting Acoli illiterates'. Well none disagreed, especially from the high-end college of Kalyegira and Adhola. Unfortunately, 'Perfect Breeds' promoted officers such as Ogole John and Opond Acak were the one who were looking for 'disgusting Acoli illiterates' folks for annihilation. No wonder when FRONASA wondered in town at some point in 1986, condemned the lot as 'kipingamizis'.  Now Kalyegyira and Adhola dare not invoke the word 'Kipingamizi'; 'disgusting Acoli illiterates;' 'Perfect Breeds'; etc., just in case it collapses their arguments. SINCE, the removal of Idi Amin, we have continued to see the heavy political mess inside the UPC party. Such power blindness and arrogance brought down the UPC party-led government, and the mess continued till today. 

Which brings me again to a question; how is UPC party going to build some sort of a military wing, since politics without military support will never be strong and hold power. Shall I add here that inside the NRA and FRONASA/UPC Alliance we are witnessing the emergence of a strong and unchallengeable power-base? Well the ACCUSATIONS of OLARA Otunnu for the removal of the UPC government will pale into insignificance and what will remain are the tests he passed at the highest international civil and political level. However the celebrated august statements on tribalism, by PEOPLE like OBINY, ABAL, Tewungwa, Okello J compartment will not be called 'silly tribalism' but new words will have been invented to describe it, and what will remain in their epitaph is that they never did anything better than OLARA Otunnu at anytime in their lives.

The constant accusation of OLARA Otunnu for the 1985 military coup simply because both Tito Okello and Bazilio Okello were from Acoli, is quite absurd. Are those who are accusing OLARA Otunnu saying the collapsed and the massive corruptions in Uganda since the NRA/M7 regime came to power 30 years ago should be blame on the whole people of Ankole? Could those who are constantly blaming OLARA Otunnu ready to accept some absurd accusations that, the whole problem in Uganda had been started by the late AMO and the UPC party in the history of Uganda?

Congress folks, do not get me wrong. I am not defending OLARA Otunnu because he is an Acoli person like me. But, because, I feel he is quite innocent like any other human beings unless someone can provide concrete evidence, which proved the guilt of OLARA Otunnu. The truth is, in legal jurisprudence folks are always not condemn on collective guilt due to the wrongs of their ethnic origins.