|
FEBRUARY 1999 UGANDA COUNTRY PROFILE |
"When freedom blooms, society blooms"- MuseveniInterview with the President of Uganda, Yoweri MuseveniAfrican Business: Where does your vision of an integrated central Africa, with roads and rails from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans, stand today? Yoweri Museveni: This is a long term project. We will continue discussing it with regional leaders in the coming months. Integration means a wider resource base, eliminating the existing irrationality of transport linking the hinterland to the coast. This is especially important for landlocked countries. AB: Increasingly, voices from civil society are questioning the wisdom of Uganda's involvement in the Congo. Can they influence your thinking? YM: When freedom blossoms, civil society blossoms as well. We have a lot of freedom in Uganda since we got rid of dictators, and civil society is blossoming. I am in touch with civil society. They ask me questions, they ask me reasons for what I do, and I explain. We have full accountability of government. We have a partnership. AB: More Ugandans are calling for demilitarization in the country's relations within and outside the country. What is your view? YM: We were the first to start demilitarizing Uganda. We reduced the size of the army. AB: You advocate a negotiated settlement in Congo. Why won't you negotiate with your own rebels? YM: Because they are terrorists, not rebels. It is not because they oppose my government or me, but because they have committed untold atrocities against civilians. We don't want to talk to them because of their methods. AB: You have said the rebels are the reason for Uganda's presence in eastern Congo. How many are there? YM: There are two rebel groups operating from outside Uganda, one in Sudan and one in eastern Congo. Since we have been operating in Congo, fewer atrocities have been committed by rebels operating from there. AB: You have been hailed as one of Africa's new breed of leaders by President Clinton, yet recently the American ambassador in Kinshasa berated Uganda and Rwanda's involvement in Congo. Is your image becoming tarnished? YM: I started here. The western world came to know about me later. What the west thinks does not matter. If I fail or succeed, it will be for what I do here. AB: Is the SADC changing from an economic grouping of countries to an alliance bent more on military intervention than economic cooperation? YM: SADC is not acting in unison in Congo. Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe acted alone. If there is a need, I see nothing wrong with military intervention. But there must be enough consultation and enough knowledge about the situation, so as not to further complicate internal problems but to solve them. This interview with President Yoweri Museveni was conducted by Mercedes Sayagues. Copyright © IC Publications Limited 1999. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means or used for any business purpose without the written consent of the publisher. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained herein is as accurate as possible, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from its use. |