I commend UPDF efforts in South Sudan

Mar 06, 2014

I am one of those Ugandans who stand by the UPDF in their ongoing efforts to safeguard the lives and property of Ugandans living in South Sudan as well as helping a neighbouring country fight off an armed rebellion and restore stability.

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

I am one of those Ugandans who stand by the UPDF in their ongoing efforts to safeguard the lives and property of Ugandans living in South Sudan as well as helping a neighbouring country fight off an armed rebellion and restore stability.

I commend the Government of Uganda for the quick intervention in a conflict that had quickly tuned tribal and was threatening the survival of South Sudan as a nation as well as regional security.

The 1994 Rwanda Genocide happened largely because of the nonintervention of nations that had the capacity to do so particularly UN.

As a result, tens of thousands of people were massacred and the entire Great Lakes Region continues to suffer from the consequences. Uganda, especially had to take in and look after millions of refugees.

It would, therefore, be an act of irresponsibility and a crime against humanity for Uganda and AU member states to simply watch as their neighbour South Sudan slide into genocide.

For those who have been following the conflict, you must have realised that following the deployment of the UPDF in South Sudan, genocide has been averted, the rebel forces have been chased from key areas and life is slowly returning to normal as the peace process takes its course.

I, therefore, do not agree with those Ugandans who are expressing contempt towards our soldiers who are on this difficult mission which no other country dared to undertake with immediate effect.

Economically, South Sudan constitutes a huge market for Ugandan goods and hence creates jobs for Ugandans. This is in addition to the thousands of Ugandans who are working in different parts of South Sudan as government expatriates and business men and women. A number of South Sudanese have also established businesses in Uganda.

Someone had to make a bold decision to protect the booming trade between South Sudan and Uganda and as usual,  President Museveni was the one who made this decision for the good of all Ugandans and the region at large.
 

The writer is a Public Relations Officer of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
 

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