YOWERI MUSEVENI AND SOUTH SUDAN

August 14, 2015(Nyamilepedia) —- Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a 70 plus year old Ugandan President who climbed to the realm of powers through a military revolution in the 1980’s. Precisely, he grabbed powers on 01/26/1986 through one of the most brutal military campaigns at the time. Like all other African direct combat revolutions, many a gruesome genocides have been committed in the process. A typical of such was the infamous Luweero Triangle in which the National Resistance Army (NRA) mercilessly exterminated tens of thousands of innocent Ugandans. The massacres that took place at the time are countless. Luweero incident is just one out of many that caught attention of the public. Museveni does not want this known. Victims of such incidents are yet to obtain natural justice as the state organs complicate the process.

Over several decades of an iron fist rule using a quasi-democratic style, Museveni has continued to disparage Uganda’s political and military landscape. Elections have been rigged since 1990’s, Opposition voices silenced, constitution amended to favor his terms of bargains. In fact, Museveni’s Uganda according to many Ugandan colleagues is worst than Amin’s. With economic projections standing at a stagnant rate, GDP continues to drop due to over spending on defense, Uganda is sliding towards a practical economic collapse.

What is it about South Sudan? Simple, this is one of the youngest kids in the region, still crawling on its knees, Museveni does not give it any sympathy. Decades after he killed its visionary leader, he is now enjoying the fruits of his murderous labor. With Salva Kiir in power, an innocent poor cowboy from one of the notorious regions of South Sudan for producing poor leaders, Museveni is a lucky man. He discovers a nation of no man. Owing to his historical legacy of destroying the region, South Sudan is not the only Country in the list. Those of us, who read regional perspectives, would know that He once destroyed DRC, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Burundi, Kenya, and now South Sudan. The genesis of this sweeping conflict in our nation was clear, that it was engineered from Kampala is something no one can doubt. Museveni has found a friend, like some of his own in the region who dares not to question his suicidal visions.

We could infer this on countless occasions. The continued presence of UPDF, the moral influence he has on every political decision Juba makes and the breach of peace numerous accords that would already save South Sudan from further slipping off the bloody path of conflict are just some of the instances we know. Museveni does not enjoy smart friends. He is comfortable with less sensible ones who he can manipulate with ease. Therefore, in his tireless effort to include South Sudan in the map of the nations he destroyed, Museveni killed Dr. John Garang. Leaders with nations in mind, and visions in hearts have never been Museveni’s friends, they always have been enemies because they posed a threat to his personal leadership ambitions.

Let’s talk about peace making now. As every South Sudanese, at every corner of the globe yearns for a viable peace to return home, Museveni is a very busy man to deny them this golden aspiration. Many deals have been signed, broken at the last minute. This is Yoweri Museveni in action. His money-fighting UPDF has been in the country for almost two years today, protecting a dictator in the making. He continues to change documents that have glaring signs to bring about peace in South Sudan. The recent one is the “Kampala Document” a piece of paper he helped manipulate, and whose contents run parallel to the infamous IGAD-plus ‘Document of Compromise.’  South Sudanese have been talking about this man. The world does not seem to understand their position, 80% of the problems in the country today are direct consequences of Museveni’s unlimited access to a sovereign nation. It is now practically clear how Museveni can drag the whole region, and indeed the whole world to his own personal wants.

We can only wait to see how this turns out in the end. For now, the SPLAM/IO under visionary leadership of Dr. Riek Machar can never buy into the Kampala Document. If a mistake occurs, and peace is signed based on the contents of such a document, then a historical blunder shall have occurred. This would cause a painful wound in our political history. As the IGAD of today has earned a beautiful name different from its previous one, South Sudanese still have a glimpse of hope that somewhere, sometime, a final peace shall be signed. A genuine peace that should be free of external manipulations, should be viable, full of sense and should address every weakness of leadership in South Sudan. The ball rolls around goalposts of the international community and the region. IGAD-plus cannot be a one man. The name should truly reflect its meaning. Until then, South Sudan remains at a state of quagmire.

The author can be reached at mataimuon@yahoo.com