At last, Mr Museveni realises Uganda needs the DR Congo
What you need to know:
In the 1770s, Uganda’s neighbours scavenged on what was left of Uganda’s economy. Kenya developed Kisumu City as an industrial hub with an eye on exports to Uganda
Asuman Bisiika
In what could be described as a master class regional diplomatic coup, Mr Yoweri Museveni is said to be secretly cooking a new relationship with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The new entente cordiale will be based on the need for security and driven by economic interests.
This is a clear radical policy shift from the belligerent and big-boy-bully attitude Uganda (and Rwanda) has hitherto posted against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although the international community seems to have been taken unawares by Mr Museveni’s master stroke of a diplomatic coup, they seem to endorse it (at least according to a European diplomat who talked to me).
Uganda is looking at the trade opportunities the rather virgin market eastern DR Congo offers. To pursue this, Uganda could in the immediate term build the Mpondwe-Beni-Butembo road and later Bunagana-Goma road.
With this new attitude focusing on the higher call of economic benefit, the issue of security in Eastern DR Congo is expected to be sorted. And privileged information in my possession is that:
Dear reader, although we are in possession of the security architecture (and the quantity surveys) of the new diplomatic construct between Uganda and DR Congo, we are not at liberty to reveal details. The only information we can give is that Mr Museveni will soon meet DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi in Goma. If you pray hard for me, I could be part of the DR Congo delegation to this historical meet.
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Mr Museveni’s star act on the African continent is a reality. But this reality tends to focus on Mr Museveni as an individual as opposed to Uganda as the constituency that gives him his identity (one as a citizen and two as an African leader). Witness the small matter at the Uganda-Rwanda border closure…
The Uganda-Rwanda border issue was choreographed as an issue between Paul Kagame and Museveni. That was until Kagame visited a trade embargo on Uganda’s businesses.
The good thing from the trade embargo Rwanda slapped on Uganda is that at last Uganda is taking the market opportunities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo seriously.
In one of the write ups in this column titled ‘On Kasese’s Philip Rwabwogo and DR Congo’s captive market’, I wrote thus: “Whereas the Rwandan market comes with some advantages because of her relatively developed infrastructure, the recent border closure by Rwandan authorities should be an eye-opener.
The sustainability of this market will need more than just produce-for-export sloganeering. The Democratic Republic of Congo offers opportunities that border on captive market status. And if we appreciated these opportunities from the Democratic Republic of Congo, our first action should be to establish industrial parks in Kasese and Arua.”
Given the buzz I am picking from the intelligence traffic circuit, it seems Mr Museveni has at last realised Uganda needs the DR Congo as an economic partner. Ugandans should support this new entente to recognise the market opportunity in eastern DR Congo.
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Last Sunday, I bumped into Mr Philip Rwabwogo at Hotel Margarita in Kasese. He owns the hotel. But his main hustle is Reco Industries Ltd known for producing quality mattresses. He told me Reco had diversified into the production of nutrition medicine, which he portrayed as as Reco’s new main hustle. And then I raised the small matter of his ‘failure’ to tap into the DR Congolese market.
In the 1770s, Uganda’s neighbours scavenged on what was left of Uganda’s economy. Kenya developed Kisumu City as an industrial hub with an eye on exports to Uganda. Mobutu’s Zaire (DR Congo) also tried to turn Kisangani into manufacturing hub to supply the Ugandan market.
Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of the East African Flagpost.
