Pardon Amin, Koboko leaders tell Museveni
President Museveni lays a wreath on the coffin of Brig. Arube in Koboko Town on Tuesday. PHOTO BY Felix Okello Warom.
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Appeal. West Nile leaders and locals have on several occasions demanded that the government should acknowledge the contribution of Amin to the development of the nation.
Local leaders in Koboko have asked President Museveni to forgive former president Idi Amin for the mistakes he made.
Speaking on Tuesday during the reburial of Brig. Charles Arube, who reportedly committed suicide in 1974 after a failed attempt to overthrow Amin’s regime, the state minister for internal affairs said there was need for reconciliation and forgiveness.
“Sir, here in our culture, even if your father is a wizard, the children do not deny him. Amin is still our own even when he has done bad things. Please understand us. Not all of us supported Amin because of what he was doing,” Mr James Baba said.
He added that several former army officers like Amin’s vice president, Gen. Mustafa Adrisi, and late Maj. Gen. Isaac Lumago disagreed with him.
President Museveni said: “I cannot blame West Nile because of mistakes made by Idi Amin. Similarly we cannot blame Acholi for atrocities committed by Kony. If somebody makes a mistake, he makes it as an individual. So you should not involve his tribe and religion or his family.”
The President added: “Mustafa Adrisi is limping but was it NRA that shot his leg? We did not and it was the same Amin who shot him. And we disagreed with UPC and Amin. But I thank Arube for dying like a soldier and a hero for opposing what Amin was doing.”
The Koboko LC5 chairperson, Mr Hassan Nginya also reiterated the call for reconciliation and forgiveness of Idi Amin.
Amin, who hailed from Koboko, has never been recognised by President Museveni even at the time of his death.
During the celebrations of the NRM Day in Kasese District recently, all former presidents, except Amin, were posthumously awarded medals.
The body of Amin was buried in Saudi Arabia where he died in 2004.
West Nile leaders and locals have on several occasions demanded that the NRM government should acknowledge the contribution of Amin to the development of the nation.
Brig. Arube’s was first buried in Jinja in 1974.
His son, Mr Bashir Arube, said; “Our father died in a mysterious manner under the brutal leadership of Amin. So we thank Museveni’s regime for bringing the body of our father back.”
