Inside Museveni, NRM MPs meet

Exactly 106 days after Uganda and the DR Congo launched a joint operation against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed rebel group, President Museveni yesterday met his ruling NRM Caucus members and briefed them on the Congo war. 
The deployment of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to DR Congo on November 30, 2021 under Operation Shujaa, was done in disregard of the dictates of the Constitution that require government to seek approval immediately and in any case not later than 72 hours after the declaration of war.  

Article 124 of the Constitution requires the government to seek Parliament’s approval before deploying troops outside the country. However, this was not done even after Deputy Speaker Anita Among asked government to present to Parliament a comprehensive report on its foreign deployment of the UPDF troops to DR Congo.

 President explains
Explaining the failure to brief the House before or after 72 hours after deployment, Mr Museveni according to sources told NRM MPs that his government did not come to Parliament before the operation because they did not know that it was necessary, but they didn’t want the details to be exposed to the media before they streamlined things with the DR Congo and the United Nations.
“We did not come to Parliament because that operation had to be agreed upon by the governments of Congo and Uganda. That is why we decided to first dialogue with our Congolese brothers,” the President explained, adding that it was improper to discuss internal security of another country before finalising the join plan. 

The President also told the MPs that security in Africa is a big problem because many people do not know what to do, some players are benefiting from the insecurity and the situation is complicated by people hiding professional incompetence and foreigners causing endless suffering of the African people.
“That’s why we decided to first dialogue with our Congolese brothers. Because of the media, we didn’t want to antagonise our Congolese brothers. We also wanted you to see the results and then come here and discuss in the open,” he said.  
“Insecurity in Africa is caused by bad politics and armies. Our army is built on the four principles of patriotism, pan-Africanism, social economic transformation, and democracy.”

The President briefed the NRM MPs on the ADF rebels captured or killed, the camps the joint force has either captured or destroyed and other accomplishments from the frontline as well as the fatalities so far.
He disclosed that three UPDF soldiers have so far died in the Congo war and of those only one died in combat. The death of the two soldiers was accidental. The President assured the caucus that the operation in Congo is moving on well.
“The terrorists have fled and they are now in areas beyond Bunya-Beni road… We are discussing how to deal with them. In Uganda we have been arrested corroborators,” he said. 
The President cautioned MPs against interfering in the work of fighting crime saying the people mandated to fight crime Constitutionally are the security forces who later brief the ministries concerned.

“The anti-crime warriors for the country are well known, supervised by DPC, RPC, and RDC in a district. Let them do their work. In case it is judged necessary by the central government to dispatch people to reassure the population, it should be for a limited period so that they do not distract the anti-crime fighters, but also with a briefing from those responsible for fighting crime,” he said.

President Museveni said Uganda is one of the few countries in Africa that is peaceful and added that under the NRM, Uganda has never needed security support of UN etc.
The ADF is an armed rebel group operating in Uganda and the DR Congo. The group originally based in western Uganda but has since established bases in the DR Congo. Their leader Jamil Mukulu is in jail but the group remains active.

 Uganda-DR Congo deal
Speaking after the closed-door caucus meeting, Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwe said the Kololo meeting resolved that at an appropriate time, the Defence minister will bring a detailed statement to brief Parliament on the agreement with DR Congo.
“This was a special caucus meeting called by the President and the focus was on security, particularly our deployment in Congo operation Shujaa,” Mr Tayebwa said.

“As you know, we have not yet brought a statement in Parliament, so the President felt it was very important to first talk to his NRM troops. He first briefs us and if there are any issues, we resolve them before we go on the floor of Parliament.”
He added: “The President was very clear, the delay was not that we refused but it was premature to discuss the operation. We didn’t want to have a debate that escalates beyond what’s desirable. That would jeopardise the operation.”

Mr Tayebwa further explained that in the Uganda agreements with Congo, it was agreed that “we must exterminate the threats that are facing the two countries and we will only leave Congo after completing the mission. As long as the government of Congo allows us to be there, we won’t leave until the enemy is defeated.”  
The DR Congo deployment caused ripples in the House after MPs threatened to block funds for the operation. State minister for Defence Jacob Oboth-Oboth appeared before the Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee in January and apologised on behalf of government for deploying troops without the House clearance.

Opposition criticises caucus
The President’s decision to brief NRM Caucus at Kololo Independence Grounds as opposed to Parliament as the supreme law requires didn’t baffle NRM MPs but confounded Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

Mr Mpuuga yesterday rebuked what he called “the tyranny of numbers” and “the gullibility of the majority.”   
“It is strange but not surprising!! It has been his desire to downplay the role and importance of Parliament! He particularly hates the rule of law; he prefers the law of rulers or rather rule by law!  The unfortunate bit of it is NRM members cheering him to desecrate their own Parliament!” Mr Mpuuga told Monitor last evening.
“It will come to haunt them some day! But he is also alive to the degree of gullibility of majority NRM MPs and rides populism and patronage upon them to leave them in his wake!”

Tripartite agenda
In the Caucus meeting that sources described as “amiable”, the President had singled out three issues that needed attention: The rising commodity prices in the country that have pushed many hand-to-mouth families to the manacles of starvation; the Parish Development Model (PDM) that targets 39 percent of Ugandans outside money economy, and a detailed brief on UPDF operation in DR Congo. 

On the rising commodity prices, the caucus agreed to convene at a later date and discuss the issue. The President tasked Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Trade and Finance ministers to study the current crisis and come up with a report to be discussed next week. The same meeting will also discuss the PDM. 
Commenting on the PDM, the President asked MPs to ensure that the money goes to the stakeholders.

Stalemate in Somalia
On the challenges in Somalia, another troubled country where UPDF troops are serving with 10,000-strong Amisom peacekeeping mission, the Mr Museveni, according to sources, said UPDF chased al-Shabaab terrorists from the towns but the problem has not been solved on account of what he called “stalemate” there.

One of the MPs who talked to Daily Monitor quoted the President explaining that “The terrorists are staying in the bush but the problem has not been solved… the terrorists have not won but the problems remain, we are there. This is a form of terrorism conservation,” Mr Museveni said.
The President said the 6,000 soldiers in Somalia are not enough to deal with the problem in Somalia, a country he said is three times the size of Uganda. 
“A small army cannot solve this problem,” he said.

Bypassing Umeme
Other sources in the meeting this newspaper that the President thanked NRM MPs for passing the oil pipeline laws and used the meeting to castigate power distributor for allegedly hindering industrialisation in the country. The NRM leader asked MPs to expedite the passing of the proposed Electricity Bill. He reiterated that “[Umeme] has caused a lot of problems for our industrialisation. Power must go directly to industrial parks, so that our country grows.”

What the Constitution says
Article 124 Declaration of a State of War (1) The President may, with the approval of Parliament given by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the members of Parliament, declare that a state of war exists between Uganda and any other country. (2) Where it is impracticable to seek the approval of Parliament before declaration of a state of war, the President may declare a state of war without the approval but shall seek the approval immediately after the declaration and in any case not later than 72 hours after the declaration. (3) Where the President makes the declaration of a state of war under clause (2) when Parliament is in recess, the Speaker, shall, immediately summon Parliament to an emergency session to sit within 72 hours after the declaration of a state war. (4) The President may, with the approval of Parliament given by resolution, revoke a declaration of a state of war made under clause (1) or (2) of this article.

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