Dear President Obama,
With respect to the so-called "Lord's Resistance Army" Bill which you've just signed and the problems in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, and Uganda.
All of the above are related. The common thread is the government of Uganda under Gen. Yoweri Museveni.
Please consider that under the Museveni Regime in Uganda the war with the LRA continued unabated for 23 years, even though this regime was supported by donor countries including the USA. By sustaining this war Gen. Museveni and his elites kept themselves in power using the "fear factor" in the rest of the country. We know that by any definition of the word Museveni's regime is corrupt to the core.
I'm wondering how the USA will ensure the protection of the civilian populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from the ravages of the Museveni-LRA war in DRC when they could not do so while the LRA was confined to Uganda? Operation Lightning-Thunder, in which Uganda launched a strike on LRA positions in DRC, with backing of the out-going Bush administration, was a predicted fiasco. Consider that wherever the Uganda national army, known as the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) goes in the region, war follows.
A better way to protect DRC civilians would be to make sure that all Ugandans withdraw from DRC, Central Africa Republic, and Sudan whether in uniform or not, to prevent the same MO that we witnessed in the northern part of Uganda from happening in the countries reporting LRA atrocities. By this I am referring to the government of Uganda’s utter failure to protect civilians, massive human rights abuse by Museveni's National Resistance Amry and successor, UPDF, theft of cattle and food resources by the NRA/UPDF, and the forced encampment of people in northern Uganda in conditions calculated to cause maximum deaths.
I am also suggesting that there may be credence to allegations that the UPDF created its own copycat style LRA- like atrocities. After all, it was in the interest of President Museveni and his elites to perpetuate the war. They have become obscenely wealthy.
If all Ugandans withdraw from DRC, the US can then work with DRC and UN forces to protect civilians. You would in effect deprive Gen. Museveni of reasons to sustain the war-greed. And also his default defense for maintaining his military dictatorship by which he oppresses all citizens in Uganda.
Further, all direct financial support of the Museveni regime must stop. This should be done by all donors. Donor money is lining the pockets of Gen. Museveni and his elites. Billions of donor
dollars have been misappropriated or stolen by this regime.
Further reason to withdraw donor financing. This corrupt, brutal dictatorship is rigging elections as we speak: lawsuits and intimidation tactics against opposition members, repression of media, journalists, use of torture.
People lack basic rights of free speech and assembly. I think that Gen. Museveni has for so long been pulling the strings of the West and in particular the USA; he and his cronies have an exaggerated sense of their power, act with impunity and against the interests of their citizens.
Please post your comments directly online or submit them to milton@blackstarnews.com
"Speaking Truth To Empower."
