LRA/Museveni gap widens

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda flew to Southern Sudan for peace talks that would see a peace deal between Lords’s Resistance Army and Museveni government signing a peace deal.

BBC has reported that Museveni met the rebel leaders off-camera for a few minutes. After the meeting LRA spokesman Godrey Ayoo was furious when addressing the media. He told the media that they were lured to a five minutes meeting where Museveni abused and called them names.

It now seems the peace deal is in the book of dreams for both parties.

It has come clear that achieving peace between the two in a conflict that has lasted for over 20 years will not be easy especially because top LRA leaders are wanted by the international court of justice.

It is also questionable whether Museveni government is genuine to achieve peace, when he accepted a meeting lasting only five minutes with LRA, and used the minutes to abuse them as reported by BBC.

Recently, President Museveni told the media that his government was ready to give LRA leaders amnesty in what he called “customary forgiveness.”

However, by meeting and abusing them in Sudan is not a good sign of forgiveness. It comes clear to LRA leadership that the government is not ready for deals. The situation will make them re-think their way forward causing them to be careful not to move into Museveni’s trap inside Uganda where they may be arrested, made to disappear or handed over to the international court of justice that has already issued a warrant of arrest for them.

By Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no

East African Trade Delegation on a visit to Sweden!

Recently, East African Trade Delegation comprising of officials from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania visited Sweden on an investment promotion tour.

Meeting East Africans living in Sweden in Sheraton Hotel, they discussed with them how best to invest in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Africans who participated in the meeting were very critical on the delegation’s mission to Sweden and most of them told the delegation that East African countries did not need the Swedish as investors and lauded their concern in video recordings posted in our VIDEO COLLECTION page. They told the delegation that looking for westerners as investors in the African continent is like re-introducing colonialism, terming the delegation’s efforts “a promotion that encaurages exploitation of African resources by foreigners who will pay peanuts in salaries.”

Some participants complained on the bad treatment they receive in Sweden and wondered why the same people should be welcomed to Africa as investors when they are not in a position to welcome Africans in their own country.

One participant stressed the point that westerners expoit African countries and are not ready to listen to Africans politically. While making his point he mentioned Presidents Mugabe and Chavers as examples that take up good issues and yet westerners look at them as trouble makers may even go as far as refusing them entry into their own countries.

Go to our video collection page and listen to recorded comments.

By Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no