Why Uganda's Sam Kutesa Must Not Be Allowed to Become UN General Assembly President

Sam Kutesa

Hon. Secretary of State John Kerry:

Dear Secretary Kerry,

As you know, Uganda's foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa could become President of the United Nations General Assembly in June unless the world comes to its senses.

Mr. Kutesa is reputedly one of Uganda's most corrupt and wealthiest politicians.

The United Nations does not need this kind of embarrassment. The UN is still dealing with the damaging reports about alleged misconduct, including rapes of young girls, by UN peacekeepers deployed to DR Congo; and, the serious allegations that peace-keepers spread cholera in Haiti.

The post of president of the GA rotates amongst the world's regions, and this year is Africa's turn. So Mr. Kutesa is running unopposed. His election would be the most embarrassing thing that the United Nations Organization has endured in recent memory.

This must not be allowed to happen.

As President, Mr. Kutesa would preside over important meetings including the General Assembly, when you and President Obama attend in the Fall. As you are aware, his boss and partner Gen. Yoweri Museveni has now presided over a repressive and brutal dictatorship in Uganda for 28 years.

Gen. Museveni's domestic repression in Uganda and multiple invasions of neighboring countries such as Rwanda, DR Congo and South Sudan have caused the deaths of millions of innocent African civilians and has been well documented by the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, as a simple Google search will confirm.

Mr. Secretary, Congo has been turned into the "rape" capital of the world by the marauding militias he's trained and financed including M23.

Mr. Secretary, most recently Gen. Museveni on Feb. 24, 2014, defied the international community by signing a law that incites violence against Uganda's sexual minorities, the LGBT community, purely for political purposes, as he's desperate to retain power in the 2016 elections. Gen. Museveni knows rural voters who form the majority are conservative and not educated on issues of LGBT people -- by demonizing them Gen. Museveni hopes to translate fears into votes. In the process he does not care about the consequences on the safety and lives of LGBT community and referred to them as "disgusting" in a CNN interview.

What's more, Gen. Museveni's family and his ministers have embezzled so [much] public funds, including monies designated for development assistance through the years that in 2012 the UK cut off all foreign aid.

Mr. Sam Kutesa, as foreign affairs minister, has been Gen. Museveni's top advisor and spokesperson. He is part and parcel of all these transgressions including the invasion of neighboring countries, which is a violation of the United Nations' cardinal rule -- the respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

For the rest of the article please see The Huffingtonpost