Bush War comrades must reunite for the good of our country, region

Former army commander (Rtd) Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, while speaking at the burial of fallen Bush War comrade Maj Gen Benon Biraaro this week, made some striking comments. Biraaro, a former presidential candidate, succumbed to cancer on February 12.

According to Gen Muntu, also the leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party, “on several occasions it has been reported that President Museveni calls the UPDF ‘his army’, but the National Resistance Army rebels, now UPDF, did not go to the bush to fight in the 1980 to 1986 guerrilla war to establish a personalised army.”

“It is a national army and we will do everything possible to ensure that that comes into reality. If that doesn’t come into reality, it will be unfortunate for those who have served, those who are dead (and those) who are still living.”

In 2019, a similar utterance, although under a different context, was made by another Bush War fighter, president Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

In an interview with The Africa Report, while giving background information to the tensions between Uganda and Rwanda, said: “President Museveni, we know each other… He knows me very well. Museveni has a flaw of thinking that everyone must bow to him whether he’s wrong or right. He actually thinks he has that right, that this region is his.”

The two heads of state met at the Uganda-Rwanda border on Friday to try to defuse tensions between the two countries.

Good old days
In President Museveni’s book Sowing the Mustard Seed: The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Uganda, second edition, he speaks of his comrades-at-arms, generals Muntu and Kagame.

“[Fred] Rwigyema came and told me that some new political actors (Bizimungu and Kaijakuhakwa) had brought new information and wanted to see me. I said I would meet them after my trip to the 1990 New York General Assembly meeting. We had also nominated Rwigyema to go for a leadership skills course in the USA but he declined.

“I then nominated Paul Kagame to take his place instead. While I was asleep in New York at 2am, it was army commander Mugisha Muntu, who told me in Runyankole that ‘Bariya baagyenda’ (the other ones have gone). I asked him, who are those? After explanation I understood the message, it was obviously a big regional and international complication.”

It is difficult to understand how Muntu and Kagame could have arrived at their current positions, disagreeing so strongly with their former commander. Unless, the fundamental views once shared; that motivated them to fight against adversaries to bring fundamental change did not materialise as expected.

Some Bush War fighters have disagreed with their colleagues and accused them of thriving through the NRM patronage system, and enriched themselves at the expense of the ordinary Ugandans they fought to liberate.

Hope for Uganda, Rwanda
For Uganda and Rwanda, midweek Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa handed over 13 Rwandan nationals previously detained on espionage and security related charges to Rwanda immigration officers, a sign of co-operation and diplomatic goodwill from Kampala. But more remains to be achieved on the demands by both countries.

Since strengthening of the East African Community integration is in the interest of both countries, and pursuing set agendas on security at the African Union and at the United Nations, most people are hopeful that presidents Museveni and Kagame will continue on the path to peace and harmony in accordance with the Luanda Memorandum of Understanding.

Ms Victoria Nyeko is a media commentator.
[email protected]
Twitter:@VictoriaNyeko