What is the fuss about Uganda-Rwanda tension?

Nov 27, 2001

WHEN you happen to encounter two brothers locked in combat, you had better make yourself as scarce as possible.

By Joshua Muvumba WHEN you happen to encounter two brothers locked in combat, you had better make yourself as scarce as possible. This ancient Nkore proverb is the thesis of this short discourse on the above subject which borders on the grotesque. The fact is that whatever the quarrel is, whatever the conflict may be about, they are kinsmen who have for long been integrated by history, blood and destiny. Only providence can change this situation. For long, what could be called a Nkore-Mpororo-Rwanda axis has existed as a vital geo-political and demographic barometer in the great lakes region of East Africa. When this axis coalesced into concrete military terms in the 1980s, the ball game was no longer funny for other East Africans. As a rule, all nations want to maintain a balance of power. Because the axis has shattered the balance of power, everybody is trying their best to split the axis, thereby reducing its potency. It is therefore up to the members of the axis to defend their interests and survival by doing the following: l Realise that within both Rwanda and Uganda, there are enemies of the axis; l Ignore the wagging tongues of flatters who hasten to inflate the egos of the leaders l Recognise the fact that even the foreign powers are not happy with a strong axis; l Carry on and maintain a most constant, confidential dialogue within l Utilise their ablest diplomats in management of the axis affairs. l Know that taking any other course spells disaster. ends

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