Nsibambi Defends Govt Efforts In North

Oct 02, 2002

PRIME Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi has rejected allegations that the Government has deliberately ignored northern Uganda.

By Joyce Namutebi
and Hamis Kaheru

PRIME Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi has rejected allegations that the Government has deliberately ignored northern Uganda.

He cited President Yoweri Museveni’s presence in Gulu and various development programmes as proof of government’s commitment to the region.

Nsibambi was yesterday reacting to claims by Aggrey Awori (Samia Bugwe North) that failure to end the insurgency in the north could be a hidden policy of government to keep the area backward.

While contributing to a statement by Arua/Yumbe Parliamentary Group, Awori and other MPs accused the UPDF of staging road ambushes and collaborating with Joseph Kony’s LRA rebels.

The MPs said some of the items looted during the ambushes were being sold in Karuma trading centre and Kigumba town.

Nsibambi described Awori’s statement as “a serious statement for which you will be harshly judged by humanity.”

“The war in the north is such a grave matter which we should never politicise. It’s a matter of life and death. It affects all of us and those who think it is distant are dreaming,” he said.

“Government feels very saddened that there is loss of life and property. It’s the duty of Government to protect life and property,” he said.

He added, “It is in this light that His Excellence has camped in Gulu. It is in this light that he even summoned a Cabinet meeting in Gulu.”

He said if the Government did not care about the north, the Head of State would not have gone to camp in Gulu and reconstruction programmes such as NUSAF would not be in place.

Nsibambi said it was in the same spirit of uplifting the region that the Government has taken steps to ensure that relief is taken to the area.
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