CEGUN: Campaign to End Genocide in Uganda Now

[On Rewarding Genocide]

A Questionable Choice: United Nations May Give Uganda Seat on UN
Security Council

The United Nations may soon elect a country convicted of war crimes
onto its most powerful organ, the UN Security Council.

The vote, which takes place on October 16, 2008, will likely be in
favor of granting Uganda a seat on the Council.

Rewarding a country which has violated the very same ideals of: peace,
respect for human rights and adherence to international law—all of
which the UN has pledged its responsibility to protect, puts all world
citizens in harm's way.

The world has turned a blind eye to the indictment of Uganda by the
International Court of Justice for war crimes in the Congo where an
estimated 7 million have died. Also ignored has been the forced
displacement in Northern Uganda of over 2 million mainly ethnic
Acholis for over 20 years into concentration camps called "protected
villages" by the Ugandan government.

In these "protected villages" the World Health Organization recorded
an excess rate of 1,000 deaths per week, (which is higher than both
Iraq and Darfur) and ordered the government to close them in 2005. The
camps are still open to this day, and people continue to die from
treatable diseases caused by the deadly conditions in the crowded
camps. Jan Egeland, a former UN official, described the crisis as the
"world's worst, forgotten humanitarian crisis."

A lesser-known fact is Uganda's involvement in the 1995 genocide in
Rwanda—troops invaded Rwanda in 1990, re-igniting deep-seated tensions
between the Hutus and Tutsis, eventually sparking the civil war.

The U.S. Congress passed a bill last week that criminalizes the use of
child soldiers, making it a triable offense in U.S. courts. Uganda was
one of the countries listed in the bill. Recent investigations by the
UN itself and the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers found
the continued recruitment and use of children in the Ugandan
government's army.

In the past the human rights record of countries has not been taken
into consideration when evaluating non-permanent members of the UN
Security Council. However, in today's world where genocides and
conflicts within nations are rampant, the makeup of the Security
Council is more important than ever.

Rewarding Uganda with a seat on the UN Security Council despite its
human rights record and conviction for war crimes threatens to destroy
the authority and credibility of the United Nations as an enforcer and
protector of international law.

Abak can be reached via (760) 406.4906 or voteforhumanity@gmail.com

For More Information:

Huffington Post Article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/georgianne-nienaber/uganda-does-not-deserve-s_b_130853.html

Black Star News Editorial
http://www.blackstarnews.com/?c=122&a=4924

WEBSITES
www.VoteforHumanity.org
www.cegun.org
www.ExposeUgandasGenocide.blogspot.com

VIDEOS

Uganda Genocide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upITVcXw_Gk
Child Soldiers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09I-GRBf3Cw