Sad! Uganda has failed to relate with DR Congo

In an interview with a Voice of America journalist, Mr. Godfrey Kabbyanga (Minister of State for National Guidance) revealed that the Government of Uganda was involved in peace talks with Allied Democratic Forces rebels.

In the interview, Mr. Kabbyanga revealed Mr. Fenehas Kisokeranio (veteran leader in the Rwenzururu, Nalu and ADF rebellions) and Mr. Christopher Kibanzanga (former junior Agriculture minister) as the two contact persons in peace effort. The audio clip of the Voice of America (VOA) interview was sent to me by a military friend. After listening to the audio, I must confess I was confused. This revelation was completely outside my imaginations. To make matters worse, even the senior soldier man who sent it to me was not familiar with the negotiations. Yet given the office he holds and the seniority, he was supposed to be in the know about such a policy position.

We later learnt the DR Congo Parliament would hold a plenary session on Monday June 26 to discuss this development. Our correspondents in Kinshasa expressed anger over the fact that Kinshasa was not formally informed about Uganda’s negotiations with ADF. I called Minister Kabbyanga and sought some clarifications on this new development. My takeaway: whether Uganda wants peace talks with ADF or not, the Congolese hold a strong feeling that they should be in the know. Otherwise what would the peace talk leave Operation Shuuja?

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Museveni’s Congolese Roads. Some time back, we wrote about MCR (Museveni’s Congolese Roads). Since I always masquerade as someone knowledgeable about Congolese things, I always attract calls from people who want to know Congolese things. Some of the things Ugandans are now  in are MCR. Are the roads being made? Where have they reached?

Now, I disqualify myself from commenting on Museveni’s Congolese Roads. I had an altercation with a Dott Services employee at my home in Kiburara. So, I would be judged biased against Dott Services. But we can deliver some facts here.The only road under construction is the Mpondwe-Beni section of the Mpondwe-Beni-Butembo Road. The Dott Services Contract seems to have been drawn by the LCI Chairperson of one of the villages that constitute Greater Kiburara. Can you imagine for the stretch between Mpondwe and Beni, there was no provision for bridges (the Semuliki Bridge was done by the UN). And when two rivers were ‘discovered’, the need for constructing bridges arose. Because the bridges were not in the initial contracts, Dott Services demanded (and rightly so) the adjustment of contract cost. But I recently landed something that could lead to popular protests against Museveni’s Congolese Roads. Here is the revelation: the contractor will just lay murrum on the roads and institute a road toll (from whose proceeds they will build bitumen). Sounds untrue but my source was authoritative.

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Poor diplomacy: As we write this piece, Uganda has no ambassador in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of course we may be challenged and told of  Farid Kaliisa. But to best of our knowledge, the Congolese have never written a sans objection (No Objection) letter to accept him.

Yet Kaliisa is personally known to President Felix Tshisekedi. In fact, it is  Kaliisa who introduced Tshisekedi to Mr Museveni. Rumour is the Congolese have demands related to the M23 rebels. A military attaché to Kinshasa was proposed a few months ago. But before a No Objection letter was issued from Kinshasa, a new military attaché was proposed. The old one is currently away on course. Some senior Congolese government officials have expressed exasperation. “We love Ugandans but our love is like a rose flower. It is sweet but it has thorns”.

Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of the East African Flagpost. [email protected]