Museveni stings West at Independence fete

President Museveni yesterday used Uganda’s diamond independence jubilee to cast himself as a nationalist and pan-Africanist, and launched a verbal assault to ward off what he called western arrogance and interference in internal affairs of independent African states.

Standing on an improvised rostrum secluded with imported bullet-proof casings, having been delivered to Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala in an armour-plated, Germany-made Maybach Benz, the Ugandan leader in power for 36 years blamed local economics scholars and political class for the woes of Uganda and Africa.

“Are there professors of Economics in Africa? Is the African political class determined to build a Latin America in Africa instead of the United States of Africa in Africa?” he asked disdainfully, arguing that the continent’s resources were being haemorrhaged through unequal trade where Africa largely exports raw materials to enrich an exploitative West. 

He added: “Of course, it should be the political leaders that should evolve policies about these issues. The question, however, is: ‘If the political actors do not see this haemorrhage, why should the academicians not see it? Are they not supposed to scan the global system as to what is going on where and why?’ Are professors and academicians not supposed to use their knowledge to see what is good or bad for their people? It is a tragedy.”

That tragedy, he said, was being midwifed by western actors and their local lackeys. His speech, much of it read from a 30-page prepared text, said little about solving a litany of domestic problems from alleged rights abuses and abduction of citizens by state security agents to runaway inflation, rising poverty and skyrocketing costs of living.

Against a backdrop of a colourful parade by combined security forces – UPDF, police and prisons – and a fly-past by Uganda People’s Defence Air Force, an exercise which combined flying helicopters and fighter jets in formations, President Museveni sounded buoyant and bullish.

His attack lines targeted the West and rebuke sought to galvanise a future Africa built on the strength of economically-integrated and politically-federated regional blocs the way he envisages the seven-member East African Community (EAC) to morph.

“The best formula, if possible, so as to create a framework for guaranteeing the prosperity of people, is the United States of America formula – which entails both political and economic integration. Here, in Africa, it points to the creation of political federations like the one of East Africa,” he said.

The President added: “Such a federation would guarantee not only the prosperity of the people through a big market that would guarantee off-take for the producers of goods and services, but it would also ensure strategic security of [the] people. Nobody would dare to threaten their security.”

Other than Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, which is bidding to join EAC, other presidents present at yesterday’s 60th independence anniversary were within the regional bloc; William Ruto of Kenya, Burundi’s Évariste Ndayishimiye and Salva Kiir of South Sudan.

Rwanda, whose relationship with Kampala is thawing after two years of icy encounter, sent its state minister for EAC Affairs, Prof Manasseh Nshuti, while DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi tapped Mr Jean-Pierre Lihau, the deputy prime minister, to represent him.

Mr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, the president of Zanzibar and chairman of Revolutionary Council, represented Tanzania as did lower level emissaries from other African nations.

Speaking after giving his counterparts and other foreign government delegations’ heads opportunity to address the crowd, Mr Museveni thanked them for “agreeing to come and share with us this joyous occasion in spite of their busy schedules”.

He made a case for fast-tracking EAC federation and adding value for Africa’s exports in order to build economic, financial and military muscle for square security:  on land, in the air, at sea and in space.

“It would also deal with the problem of the suppressed fraternity of the African peoples,” he added, adopting revolutionary rhetoric. Uganda attained its independence from Britain on October 9, 1962.

Since then, Uganda’s relations with the former colonial power and other western government has fluctuated between fraternal and warm, unpleasant and frosty to hostile which undermine international cooperation.

While receiving aid, loans and even debt waivers from the West, Uganda under President Museveni, as was the case under some of his predecessors, has sought to keep its sovereignty virgin, drawing a line in the sand on domestic matters that outsiders should never cross. Those protestations have echoed louder when Ugandan leaders come under microscopic scrutiny by the West on matters of human rights violations as well as accountability.

Geo-politics

In addition, the re-emergence of a powerful China alongside Russia, both friendly to Kampala and are in race to balance the western-constructed geo-strategic global order, have given Uganda options: from offering loans, providing market to supplying military arsenal.

Unlike the West, the eastern blocs do not interfere in domestic affairs of recipient countries and reserve commentary on politics, democracy and human rights, making them appealing to governments averse to checks.

Ironically, Mr Museveni, the West’s security doyen in the restive Great Lakes Regions, came to power as their darling.  Former United States president Bill Clinton, who visited Uganda in 1998, described him alongside Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, then Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi and his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afewerki, as the “new breed” of African leaders, in reference to his perception of them as liberal and democratic.

But that honeymoon lingers now more prominently only on security cooperation and fight against terrorism, while criticism of the Museveni government, coupled with his shifting of the constitutional goalposts by removing term and age limits to keep in power, has grown louder in Washington D.C and Brussels and in a measured manner in London.

EACOP deal

The European Union (EU) Parliament rattled Kampala when it passed a resolution, calling on Uganda and Tanzania as well as French oil giant, Total, to delay the much-touted oil pipeline project by a year over environmental and rights abuse concerns.

“Recently, there was yet another manifestation of imperialistic arrogance and hegemonism by elements in the European Union Parliament whereby they decreed from Brussels that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline should not be constructed until those arrogant actors permit us to do so,” President Museveni said yesterday.

“Parasitic elements from that part of the world have been causing problems for Africa and the world for the last 500 years.” He said despite Africans defeating the colonialists through war and talks by 1994, when South Africa gained freedom, the West continues meddling on the continent through neo-colonialism. He added: “The imperialists use the mistakes and weaknesses of Africa. Otherwise, Africa is invincible as was shown by the victories in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, etc. East Africans, therefore, should not worry that those arrogant people can stop the oil project in East Africa. If any actor tries to delay our project, we shall decisively deal with that betrayal according to the relevant laws. We shall develop all the aspects of the project with willing partners.”