End terrorism forever

UGANDA’S ACTING Representative Fred Byendeza to the United Nations has just told the General Assembly that Uganda could have surpassed its average growth rate of 6.5 per cent if it had not been for terrorism. Let’s hope that the UN heard the message. The Sudan and even Bin Laden himself directly sponsored the insurgency in northern Uganda as well as the ADF rebellion in the Ruwenzori. The UPDF presence in the Congo was an attempt to cut off the supply lines of the ADF. In other words, insecurity in Uganda has been fuelled by externally sponsored terrorism. Although this was not the sole cause, insurgency would not have dragged on for so long if it had not been for its external support. Today there are very few rebels operating in Uganda. The UPDF has crushed the ADF in Congo and the Sudan has stopped supporting Kony and the LRA for geo-political reasons. Uganda has been able to deal with the issue of rebellion because the external dimension has been removed. The world has thrown its weight behind the USA in a global coalition to fight terrorism. In future not just al-Qaeda but all international rebel groups such the IRA, ETA and the LRA are going to find it much harder to operate without external bases and funding. They will not succeed without a just cause and internal support. Good can come out of bad. External support for terrorism by all nations should now come to an end. The USA and the UN should make certain that the strikes against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan are in fact the first strikes for ending externally sponsored terrorism forever.